Child of Spirits
by harunekonya
Summary: In a world where Madara was never sealed, Natsume Takashi was spirited away as a small child and taken to be raised among spirits. For a long time, this suits all those involved, until the day an exorcist discovers Natsume's existence. For the first time, Natsume has a chance of being accepted by humans. Gen. (Warning: Spoilers for the Long Way Home arc, episode 51-53).
1. Prologue

**A/N: **This is an alternative universe that diverges from the events described in the Long Way Home arc** (SPOILER WARNINGS FOR ANIME EPISODES 51-53/SEASON 4 EPISODES 11-13)**. In this AU, Madara was never sealed. I intend this to be a more traditional kind of story, with longer chapters. Of course, updates would probably be longer because of it, but I've been having a bad track record recently for my other work, so at this point I'm pretty pathetic. I'm hoping that by also having this to work on, I'll be able to alternate when I hit bad writer's blocks.

I have no intention of abandoning my other Natsume Yuujinchou piece, so rest easy. I'm merely er... expanding my repertoire. It is my greatest hope that you enjoy this piece as much as my other ones. Thank you.

* * *

**Prologue: Calling For That Which Is Not There**

He ran and ran, arms flailing wildly in his desperation to get away, occasionally slipping on the still-wet ground.

_Shiromachi. Shiromachi. West down Shirokawa River. Down the river, and it will be there._

His home.

The home to where he truly belonged. Not back there, where he hurt everyone and everything, causing trouble for good people who did not deserve it. And perhaps if he went back…

"Daddy!" he cried, between gasps for breath. "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!"

Surely his father would hear him. Surely he would come.

"Daddy! Daddy!" A choking sob, and then again. "Daddy!"

It became a chant as he continued to run, following the river ever westward. Houses moved slowly past him as he ran, shuttered windows glittering in a warm, orange glow. He knew, knew that once he got there, that there would be no warmth to greet him.

_That empty house. My house. My home. And daddy… Surely daddy will be there. In some way, he will be there._

Daddy, who used to gently pat him on the head. Daddy, who would hold him on his lap in the warm summer afternoons, pointing out flowers in the garden. Flowers his mother had secretly planted, a mother he had never met. Will never meet.

But he remembered his father.

"Daddy!"

And so he continued to run. He ran until exhaustion finally overtook him, when his legs, trembling, could no longer carry him. Too weak to cry, he collapsed on the wet road, shivering in the cold. His thoughts became muddled, and he felt himself drifting away.

_Daddy, daddy, where are you?_

* * *

Above, standing on the roof of a human dwelling, Madara watched.

His lips curled into a sneer, as the human child collapsed, crying out for something that would never come. Foolish human child. Weak.

_Reiko, Reiko. This... _This_ is your legacy?_

The child had none of Reiko's vibrancy, none of Reiko's fire and spirit. No, this was a child broken, soft. It would never reach Reiko's strength.

He should just go. He knew where the human child lived now, and there, he was sure, would be the Book of Friends. It would be a simple thing to just take it and go, leaving the human child to its fate.

Yet something drew him to it. Weak though the child was, there was power there, as vast and deep perhaps, as Reiko's.

In that moment, Reiko's laughter echoed in his ear. And with it, the promise Reiko had wrangled from him.

"Urgh, Reiko. You are annoying, even in death."

It was that, and not the human child, that eventually made him leave his place, descending to the ground next to the tiny crumpled figure that laid unmoving.

"Hey. Hey, brat. Get up!"

The human child did not stir.

With his paw, Madara reluctantly nudged it.

"Wake up! What kind of idiot are you, to fall asleep in a place like this?"

Slowly, far too slowly, it began to stir. The human child pushed itself up, enough that it could lift its head off the ground.

"Dadd—" the human child began, sitting up. In that moment, it caught sight of one of Madara's paws, and froze.

"Finally awake I see," Madara said, swishing his tail around the human child, securing all possible escape routes. The child began to shake, this time not from exhaustion, but in abject terror. Lowering his head until it was level with the child, Madara glared at him. "Well, what do you have to say for yourself?"

It began to make mewling sounds, similar to that of a whimpering dog.

A swish of Madara's tail sent the human child tumbling forward.

"Talk, you. I asked you several questions."

"… I… I… I…" Teeth chattering, the human child scrambled back up. "I'm s-s-s-sorry. S-s-sorry. S-so s-s-s-sorry."

"Idiot. I'm not asking for an apology," Madara said. As he paused, he could hear the child's heavy breathing, its gasps whistling between a steady increase of hiccups. In a moment the human child would become hysterical.

He batted at the child again, causing it to shriek in terror.

"Stop this idiocy. I'm not going to eat you," he said. Shaking its head back and forth, the child pushed back clumsily. Madara lowered his head again. "I said stop…"

"_NOOOOOOO!_"

A tiny fist struck out, smacking him on the nose.

* * *

Madara found himself in more pain than he'd ever experienced in his life. The sound of receding footsteps soon followed.

"Eeeuuugh…"

It was a while before he recovered, and when he did, it was with a mix of chagrin and embarrassment. With the sounds of footsteps earlier, the child had probably escaped.

But much to his surprise, when he was finally able to open his eyes, the child was still there. Its eyes were wide with terror, its thin arms hugging itself protectively, but it did not move away, though it did give a start at Madara's glare.

"Are… are you… are you okay?"

"Human child," Madara said. Something about the child's demeanor had shifted his initial assessment. "Human child, you called me."

The child's eyes, impossibly, widened even more.

"I was calling for my daddy," he whispered. "You're… you're not…"

"No," Madara said. That was a dangerous road to walk on, and was something he had no desire to be. "Yet you called me nevertheless."

"I did?"

"That, and I was sent."

Once again, Reiko's laughter rang in his ear.

"What for?"

"To take you away. You do not belong here," Madara said. It was not exactly true, but he could sense the doubts and feelings of guilt around the child, had caught flashes of memories and stray thoughts. Better to convince him now while those feelings were strong, before the child's better sense overrode everything else. Besides, it was not a lie either. "You… you've hurt the people around you, haven't you?"

A stricken look appeared on the child's face.

"So it _was_ all my fault. Because I'm here…" the child whispered, mostly to himself. "If… if I go with you, will people stop hurting?"

Madara heard the thoughts beneath the words, but did not respond to them.

"Ah, and I'm powerful enough to keep other _youkai_ away from you. You'll belong to me. Nobody would dare harm you."

"But, but if I disappear, the family I'm staying with right now. It would cause trouble for them. I don't…"

"That would only last for a little while. In a short time they'll be grateful," Madara said ruthlessly.

For a long time, the human child looked at him, but its gaze was drawn inwards, as if deep in thought.

Then it nodded.

"Get on my back. We will stay in a temple in the mountains tonight, but tomorrow we leave early for my territory."

The human child said nothing, instead obediently climbing onto his back.

"Oh. You're warm."

Madara grunted in response.

"Hold tight."

In a few moments, they were above the clouds.

* * *

That spring, the small community was wracked with the tragedy of a missing child, a tragedy that had been made all the more tragic because the child had in fact been missing and found earlier that day.

Plenty of sympathy was given to the family who had been in charge of the child in question. He was noted in the community as a troubled child, given to unpredictable behavior, with a tendency to lie. It was certainly not their fault.

Still others wondered if it hadn't been precisely because of that, that the child had disappeared in the first place. For a while, rumors had abounded that the child had been spirited away. After all, no body had ever been found.

But in the end, after investigations by the police turned up nothing, things quickly returned to normal. He had been a troubled child after all. It was perhaps, only to be expected. Probably for the best.

A few months later, nobody thought about Natsume Takashi.


	2. Chapter One

**A/N: **So I was not expecting this level of enthusiasm from you guys, and I am honestly overwhelmed and grateful to all of you. I know that I'm riding a lot on my reputation at this point, so I hope that I can meet your expectations.

To answer one question I saw repeated in the comments: No, there will not be a Nyanko-sensei in this fic. Sad, I know. My baby brother, who also reads my Natsume stories, let out a huge, "Awwwww, but then no Nyanko-sensei!" when he read my summary. I hope that Madara can still be cute in his own giant, fuzzy lovable way though.

At least, I hope so.

* * *

**Chapter One: In a Name a Person is Born  
**

Up in the air, it was not long before Madara noticed that the human child was sniffling. He had heard sniffles before, but had never been close enough to feel them. The human child shook, and he sensed shivers while the child laid on his back. Madara knew of course, that there were different reasons why a human would sniffle, but he did not care at the moment. All that mattered was that the sound was annoying.

"What are you sniffling about?"

Abruptly the sniffles stopped.

Satisfied that this problem was at least temporarily solved, Madara returned to the business of finding the shrine he had staked out earlier in the nearby forest. It was not easy to find, as the roof of the building was hidden beneath several large pines.

"Grip tightly," Madara warned the child. "I'm about to descend."

He heard nothing to indicate that the child had heard, but he did feel a pull from his back. Deciding that this was enough, he deliberately dropped several feet.

Behind him, he heard a sound that was a mix between a gasp and a scream. Madara ignored it. They would be down on the ground soon, and he would listen to the human child's complaints then.

But when they landed and Madara had lowered himself—a tacit order for the human child to get off—while the child was pale and trembling, it did not say a word. For a moment, Madara felt a pang of guilt; somehow the child had managed to make its silence feel infinitely worse than the whining he had been prepared for.

"Get in the shrine. Get some sleep while you can. Whatever happens, do not leave it. I'm going to leave for a while."

"Y-you're not staying?"

Despite the fear the human child felt, it clearly preferred Madara there. However Madara was already starting to sense that whatever he chose to do, the child would not complain. Life had already taught it that such a thing would be useless.

It was this realization that softened Madara's next response.

"I will be back later. But first I will need to go back and get some of your things."

"Oh." The human child brightened slightly. "All of my things are in a box. It has my name on it." Then the child's face dropped. "Can… can you read?"

Madara snorted.

"If I were a weakling, perhaps not. But I am powerful and knowledgeable, so human writing is no problem for me."

"Okay."

The instant acceptance disturbed him, but he said nothing in response. He could not bear to let the human child know that even this seeming kindness from him was not wholly out of compassion. Madara had felt the presence of the Book of Friends. It was that which motivated him, and nothing else. Instead he reminded the child again not to step out from the shrine, and quickly returned to the air.

* * *

It was not hard to find the former dwelling of the human child. People were moving rapidly around in the small yard, and the shouting made by the humans was so loud that Madara could hear it far before he had arrived.

"He was just here. We told him to go inside to eat dinner with Miyoko!"

"How did you lose him so quickly?"

"Ah, well he has a tendency to run off. Just today…"

"Exactly, we've already searched for him once!"

"Miyoko, did you see him?"

"Miyoko?"

Madara ignored the rest of the conversation, instead heading toward the area where the human child's scent was strongest. It was on the second floor, with a small window, currently curtained shut. Under normal circumstances Madara would find himself in a bit of difficulty, but today he intended to recruit outside help.

"You. _Mushikui_. I know you're in there. I want you to get something in there for me."

_"And why should I help you...?"_ The voice was not a voice exactly, but could be heard nevertheless.

"I need the human child's things. It is coming with me now."

_"Ah, the child, that sweet-smelling, delicious child. And you're taking it away? Who will draw me a mouth then, hmmm? Who will?"_

"It wouldn't have drawn you a mouth in any case," Madara replied. "And if you do not cooperate, I will eat you. Do not think I am afraid of wrecking human houses. By the time exorcists get wind of this, I will be far, far away." He paused. "Perhaps I should let you live, and have you take the blame."

_"Cruel… cruel…"_ But the window opened, and moments later, a box came out, which Madara carefully took with his mouth. He could sense the Book of Friends in the box, and its power sent a shiver of anticipation down his spine. _"What… what… what would you even do with a human child?" _When Madara did not deign to answer, a tendril from Mushikui whipped out, slapping him on the nose. He let out an involuntary roar.

_Why you little…!_

In an instant, Madara sent out a blast of light, blowing the window inwards, spilling glass into the tiny room. He did not care. It was Mushikui who was his target, and he did not leave until he heard the _youkai_'s satisfying shriek of pain.

It was not until he was circling back down next to the shrine, when he saw the human child looking up at him, wide awake, that the Mushikui's words fully sunk in.

"I couldn't sleep," the human child said, rubbing its arms for extra warmth. Of course, the human child was cold. Nevertheless, it had stayed obediently inside the shrine, exactly as Madara had told him. But then, that was only to be expected. The human child could see _youkai_ after all.

"I've brought your things."

"Thank you."

Once more, the human child looked up at him, its eyes wide.

"Get back inside."

"Are you coming inside too?" Madara could practically hear the naked longing in those words.

"Hmph, and if I break the room? I suppose you wouldn't care if I get cursed by a god," he said, nudging the sliding doors a bit wider. When the child looked at him, suddenly hesitant, Madara snorted. "Well? Aren't you going to sleep?"

A not-quite smile appeared on the child's face. As Madara laid down and placed his head on his front paws, the human child darted quickly next to him, but once again hesitated just as it was about to lie down on his fur.

He swept his tail forward, tumbling the child into his belly.

"Close your eyes and go to sleep."

Using his tail as a blanket, the child obediently did so. When Madara could sense the regular, steady breathing of deep sleep, he closed his eyes as well. But the words of the Mushikui would repeatedly come back to haunt him that night, and for many nights after.

_What am I going to do with a human child?_

* * *

"Wait!"

Madara stopped, exasperated as the child climbed ever so slowly over a rock. He growled, and when the human child froze in fear, he lost patience.

"Don't make me wait for you," he snapped, whipping his tail forward, sending the child tumbling. It let out a cry, and that cry soon transformed into repeated whimpers. In the tumble, the human child had managed to scrape its knee. Blood now welled up from the injury.

All Madara's fault.

"Rip a part of your shirt up and tie up that wound. If you don't, weaker _youkai_ will smell you and come after you. They are weak, but they are also many," Madara said mercilessly. He whipped his tail back and forth, not so much out of irritation at the human child, but at the situation itself. Nevertheless, the child cringed, probably thinking that it was a sign of his displeasure.

"I'm sorry," it said, its thin voice trembling with unshed tears and fatigue. "I'm not v-very good at climbing."

"You'll get better at it eventually."

He moved quickly forward, forcing the human child to keep up, and the conversation was thankfully forgotten.

The safest area of his territory laid beneath a rocky mountain outcrop, covered by low hanging pines. Sharp needles would be protection from any _youkai_ coming in from above, and the low branches would make it nearly impossible to fly. Of course, all of this was good in theory, but the reality was far too much time spent coaxing a slow and clumsy human child over difficult and dangerous terrain. Not that Madara was any better. One of his paws held the box containing the Book of Friends. It was difficult enough with four paws, never mind three.

"We'll put some medicine on it when we get up there. It'll be fine," he said.

The child nodded silently, occasionally wiping away tears with an arm that was growing steadily dirtier. Madara ignored that too. There were many things he was learning to ignore about the child. After all, there was no easy path in gaining strength, and if a human child were to successfully grow up amongst _youkai_, it would need to grow strong, and fast.

It was midday by the time they finally arrived at the opening to the vast underground caverns that Madara called home. By then, the child was stumbling with exhaustion.

"We'll rest in the outer caverns for now," Madara said, not so much out of kindness as out of necessity. The human child looked like it couldn't take one step more, never mind muster up the energy necessary to navigate the difficult inner caverns. "Later today I will find some food for you, then we'll see about moving into the inner caverns. I have spells of protection there."

He laid down then, carefully placing his front paws over the box. The human child practically dropped down into his fur, asleep before it even hit the ground. Madara swept his tail forward, covering the child until only the top of its head from the nose upward remained visible.

Madara watched the human child sleep.

* * *

Takashi woke up, and decided that he never wanted to wake up again. Every part of him screamed with pain, and the place where he had scraped his knee throbbed achingly. He sat up, and instantly regretted it. The dark cavern swirled around him, sending him lying back down onto the hard, unforgiving ground.

Where was the giant white _youkai_? He remembered falling asleep on top of the _youkai_'s warm, soft fur, and that was it. But now the _youkai_ was gone.

His heart began to beat faster, as the terror of being left alone in an endless dark cave finally penetrated his consciousness. What if he was left alone here forever? He needed to eat. He needed to do something about his knee. And Takashi was tired, so incredibly tired.

_I'm only a boy. I can't live alone in the mountains._

Will he die here?

Before this train of thought led him into unthinking panic, the sound of something scraping over rock distracted him. Slowly he sat up again, careful to avoid the dizziness he had felt before.

"Good, you're awake."

The _youkai_ came into view, its right front paw carrying Takashi's box. But there were sounds coming from it, as if things were trying to get out.

"What's in there?" he asked, his voice filled with dread.

"Fish," it said, grunting as it set it down in front of him. "I caught a few for you. Don't worry, I already ate my fill."

Takashi stared at the box, a thousand questions forming, but instead asked the first thing that came to mind.

"What about my things that were in there before?"

"I dumped them out in the corner there, hidden under those rocks." The _youkai_ lifted its chin toward a pile of stones. Next to them, Takashi could see a few of his books, the covers carelessly bent where the _youkai_ had dumped them.

"Oh. Thank you." Gingerly, Takashi opened up the box. And then gasped.

Immediately the _youkai_ bent down, its eyes large as it loomed next to him. "What? Can't you eat fish?"

"It's… they're… they're well," Takashi began weakly. "They're alive."

"So kill it."

"I don't know how!" Takashi said, his voice rising progressively higher as he spoke. "And I don't know how to cook it. We need a fire."

"So make a fire."

"I… I don't know how to make that either." Takashi bowed his head, prepared for an angry outburst. But when his admission was met with silence, he looked up, and was surprised to see an expression of utter dumbfoundedness on the _youkai_. "Do you… do you know how to make a fire?" he asked.

"No."

"Oh." Completely defeated, Takashi looked back into the box full of flopping fish. "Maybe we can try together."

"You can't eat it without cooking it?"

"There's sashimi," Takashi said, still staring at the fish. "But you need to cut the fish open, and I don't have a knife."

"You don't need one if you cook?"

"I'll need sticks. Grass too," Takashi said, surprising himself. "To make a fire. And to stake the fish."

The _youkai_ let out a great gust of wind.

"Agh, this is annoying. You humans are so annoying. Why can't you just swallow things whole the way normal creatures do?"

Takashi wasn't sure how to respond to this, and so he remained silent.

"Ugh. Well, I'll go back and find some sticks and grass. While I'm gone, if you go to the back, the tunnels will lead to a second cavern. There's water there. Drink, clean yourself up, I don't care. But do that while I'm off to get whatever it is you need to build a fire."

"I think the sticks and grass must be dry too," Takashi added.

"Dry?! Do you know where we are? We're in the middle of a foggy pine forest. Dry. Of all the ridiculous things."

"I'm sorry."

"What? Ugh, I'll get your dry sticks and grass. You had better be properly grateful when I get back."

"Thank you."

Without another word, the giant _youkai_ stomped out of the cavern, grumbling under its breath, once again leaving Takashi alone. But this time, Takashi didn't feel lonely. Something about the exchange had changed something, but Takashi wasn't sure what. Except to realize that for some reason it had made him strangely happy.

It was enough to give him the courage to explore the next cavern over.

* * *

While hunting for the ever elusive dry sticks and grass, Madara found himself coming to several unpleasant conclusions.

One. Madara knew next to nothing about raising a human child. He had always known that humans and _youkai_ were distinctly different on several levels. Only now was he realizing just how all-encompassing those levels were. Nothing had laid it out plainer than when he had actually tried to feed the child.

A fire. Of all the stupid things.

This led him to his second conclusion.

At the rate he was going, he might accidentally kill the child. Not on purpose, certainly, but in the span of just a day, Madara had already managed to starve, injure, and nearly work the child to death. He told himself that if the child died that it would just be an indication of its unfitness to survive, yet for some odd reason this answer felt… unsatisfying.

As he continued down the mountain in search of dryer areas, the third conclusion niggled at him, though his pride refused to acknowledge it. He was Madara, one of the most powerful _youkai_ in this part of the world. Once, when humans still properly respected his kind, he was even worshipped. Surely the raising of one small human child, however weak, should be no problem. No, Madara did not need any help. He could do it all by hims—

"Is that you, Madara?"

Madara looked up into the trees in the direction of the voice. While the shadows of the branches covered the _youkai_'s face, nothing could mask the distinctive smell of pipe smoke. Or that all-too-knowing smile.

"Hinoe."

"You've been gone for a long time, Madara. What are you doing?"

"Hunting. And it's none of your business."

If anything, his curtness only intensified Hinoe's smile.

"It must be difficult prey, if you're having so much trouble that you didn't notice me." Hinoe jumped down from the tree, shaking bits of bark from her colorful robes. "Maybe I could help."

"Go away. I don't need your help."

He turned away, about to return to the sky, but a hard tug of his tail just as he was about leave sent him face first into the dirt.

"I said I wanted to help."

For a long time Madara was torn between wanting to bite the insufferable creature's head off and kicking her into the next mountain. Then he paused. Snorted. As if Hinoe would let him do any such thing.

But since Hinoe seemed so intent on volunteering…

"Know anything about caring for human children?"

The stunned look on Hinoe's face was far more satisfying than he'd anticipated.

"What… why… a _human child_?!" she sputtered.

"I've picked one up," he said casually. "Reiko's only descendent."

"Reiko…" Hinoe stared. Then the words finally sank in. "You don't mean to say she's…"

"Dead," Madara admitted. "They say that she died early, even for humans."

For a long time there was silence while Hinoe struggled to recover from both her grief and shock.

"And this descendent…?" she finally said, her voice not quite wobbling.

"A child. Her grandchild. It can see us, naturally."

"Ah. And you're here presumably, to look for something to care for it?"

"I'm looking for dried grass and wood," Madara said grumpily. When Hinoe raised an eyebrow, he began, stiffly, to retell the incident in the caves.

"You tried to feed him live fish?!" Hinoe began to laugh. And laugh.

The tips of his ears burning with embarrassment, Madara grumbled and coughed. Then grumbled some more. But in the end he had to admit that he had been a fool. It had been hard to admit it to himself, but in the face of Hinoe's mirth, he finally had to acknowledge that he was wholly unprepared to care for a human child, at least alone.

"There's a festival near the base of the mountain right now," Hinoe said, occasional giggles still emerging between words. "I will go get a few things for the boy. And you…" She nodded her head meaningfully towards the base of the mountain. "The woods will be drier there. Gather as much dry grass and branches as you can. That will be a start."

"A start?" Madara roared with outrage.

"Surely you didn't think that a few twigs and grass would be enough?" Hinoe said. Then before he could say anything more, she took off, presumably in the direction of the festival.

Even as he stalked off for the woods she'd pointed out, he could still hear Hinoe's giggles.

Damn her.

* * *

His eyes began to sting involuntarily as the cold water touched his scraped knee, but Takashi began cleaning the dried blood and dirt away from the wound. Fresh blood welled up underneath the newly formed scabs while he started on the rest of his leg.

Takashi didn't know what he was going to do about the state of his clothes. There was a hole where he had scraped his knee, as well as the tear where he'd had to rip off a piece of his shirt to bandage it—the rest was dirty and grimy, covered in dried dirt and sweat from the climb. He would wash them… or at least rinse them in the pool, but Takashi didn't have any other clothing to change into. Not to mention that despite the fact that it was the middle of summer, the caves were cold.

It was a grand cave. If Takashi weren't so tired, he would appreciate it more. Large stalagmites and stalactites rose from the ground and ceiling, framing the pool like black-blue fangs. In the center there was a jut of rock, a contrast to the mirror-like pool. He couldn't tell how deep the pool was, though it certainly looked deep enough. Perhaps someday, when he was less tired, he would try to swim in it. Even cold as it was, the thought was tempting.

Eventually he settled on just wetting the bandage and wiping himself down as best he could. The still-wet cloth was then tied back over the scraped knee. Though he was still anxious from what had happened—was happening to him, Takashi felt slightly better. When he finally drank the water from the pool, he felt even more so. At least it eased the aching in his belly. Which reminded him of his latest problem.

The fish.

Still alive.

And flopping.

With a sigh, he turned back to the pool and was in the middle of deciding whether or not he should explore further, or go back into the outermost cavern when he suddenly heard a voice. Or voices.

There was a woman's voice, which surprised him. Takashi didn't think that a human woman would go randomly climbing around in the mountains, which meant that the woman must be a _youkai_. Come to explore the cave while the big _youkai_ was out? Steal something? A shiver went down his spine. To eat him?

Then he heard a voice that was more familiar.

"It should still be in here. I told it to clean itself up in the next cavern."

Takashi peeked around from behind the stalagmite he had been hiding behind. The large _youkai _was back, and next to it was another _youkai_ in the shape of a woman, dressed in a bright, purple robe. Even as he watched, this _youkai_ set down a bundle of things on the ground next to the box of fish.

"You weren't kidding about the box of fish, were you, Madara."

"They're fresh!"

"Mm. Very fresh. That one's still wriggling."

"The one's that wriggle are the best!"

The female _youkai_ gave the big one a look that clearly indicated exasperation. Clearly feeling self-conscious about the entire thing, the large _youkai_ looked right at where Takashi was standing and sent him a glare. In his curiosity to see the new _youkai_, Takashi had left his hiding place, making him quite visible.

"Well, are you going to just stand there or are you going to come out and greet our guest properly?"

Takashi walked forward, quailing under the large _youkai_'s gaze.

"H-hello," he said, looking at the female _youkai_. It was about the size of a tall human woman. In its hand it held a pipe.

The female _youkai_ bent forward, looking down on him from where it stood.

"Tiny little thing isn't it?" Its eyes narrowed and it seemed to be scanning his face. Why, Takashi had no idea. Finally it straightened. "Looks just like Reiko in miniature."

Reiko?

"Who's Reiko?" Takashi asked.

Much to his surprise, the question elicited two identical stunned expressions.

"You don't know who Reiko is?" the female _youkai_ said. She took a draft from her pipe as if to distract herself from her shock. "You don't know your _own grandmother_?"

"My grandmother?" Takashi blinked, not sure how to respond. It wasn't that he didn't know his grandmother's name. He had heard it before, whispered behind the hands of the grown-ups who had taken care of him. She was not, he knew, somebody that proper people were supposed to talk about. But he had been curious anyway. After all Reiko too, had been strange.

Just like him?

"Did you know my grandmother?" Takashi asked. Suddenly it felt important, very important, to know about this woman. "What was she like? How did you know her? Was she…" He paused. "Was she like me?"

Could she see _youkai_ too?

He felt a hand on his head, and looked up, startled to see that it was the female _youkai_, the sharpness of its initial smile softened to a gentle one.

"Ah, I knew Reiko."

"There will be plenty of time to talk about Reiko," the large _youkai_ said from behind. "Come, let's see if your grass and sticks will work."

"Honestly Madara, making a fire is no secret," the female _youkai _said. It turned back to Takashi. "You, human child. Eat these first." Without waiting to see if Takashi was ready, it dropped a packet of something that smelled delicious into his arms. "And come with me. Madara told me that you don't know how to make a fire. Come along and watch."

"Mm."

"With all this fish, we could definitely make stew."

"Hmph, human food. You're getting soft, Hinoe."

"You should be grateful, you overgrown beast. If I hadn't interfered, you'd still be trying to make a fire with a few twigs and a handful of dried grass." It turned back to Takashi. "Your name, human child?"

"Eh?"

"Your name, human child," the female _youkai_ said impatiently. "We will be together for a while, it seems, since your self-appointed guardian is so incompetent. What's your name?"

"Oh." Takashi flushed. "My name is Takashi. Natsume Takashi."

"Natsume Takashi, hm. So you're a boy?"

"Of course I'm a boy!" The words, all indignant, were out of his mouth before Takashi had a chance to stop it. He froze, horrified. "I mean, I…"

But to his surprise, the female _youkai_ began to laugh.

"So you're a boy. Well, I wish you were a girl, but there's not much I can do about that." The _youkai_ picked up its pipe and pointed to itself. "My name is Hinoe, human child. And I'm a girl."

"You're too old to be a girl, granny."

Hinoe whirled toward the large _youkai_, its… her face a study in outrage.

"And what shall we call you, you overgrown beast? A thing? It?"

"I," the large _youkai_ said, drawing itself up to its full height, "am too powerful to be categorized by such foolishness." It turned toward Takashi, its posture full of pride and arrogance. "I am Madara, human child. You would do well to remember that."

"Nice to meet you, Madara."

Before Takashi could blink, Madara smacked a paw over Takashi's head, sending him flat to the ground.

"That's Madara-_sama_ to you, human child. I am your caretaker now. Show some respect."

"Ignore him, Takashi," Hinoe said, rolling her eyes, while Takashi picked himself back up off the ground. "He has an inflated opinion of his own importance. Let's go make a fire." She glanced meaningfully at the packet still unopened in Takashi's arms. "And start eating. You look like you could use it."

"Yes Hinoe-san," Takashi said obediently.

"Are you coming, Madara?"

"Hmph. Human foolishness." Madara-sama swished his tail, settling down where he was with an air of one refusing to budge. "I've done enough today."

But that night, and throughout the night, as Takashi struggled through Hinoe-san's fire-making lesson, he noticed Madara-sama watching him.

And looking content.


	3. Chapter Two

**A/N: **Just so you know, I estimated Takashi to be around six years old when he was picked up by Madara. This chapter comes three years later after the fact, so he is now nine years old. I wanted to show a very happy, beloved Takashi running around the mountains before humans and exorcists come to complicate things. I did my best to therefore include as many cute scenes as possible, so melt into a puddle if you wish! That is entirely the point of this chapter.

Please wibble and squee as you see fit.

* * *

**Chapter Two: Gathers the World Around a Child **

Takashi ran, sliding between moss covered boulders just in time to dart onto a path that he knew from experience could not be seen from above. Not daring to look back, he continued to run, using the water on the path to skid along the curves, climbing up and over the rocks blocking his path with practiced ease.

"_Come here human child, and let me eat you!_"

He gasped, and a sound between a scream and a squeal emerged from his throat. The source of the voice was still far enough behind that he could reach the trees. Once there, he would be home free, and safe.

But it would take time. Time, and skill.

There were two paths. One was easier, but took more time. The other required work, as it involved climbing up a steep cliff and jumping over a small ridge. Without hesitation, Takashi went for the cliff face path, pulling himself up by tree roots worn shiny with use.

"_I will eat you, human child! You cannot escape me!_"

A loosened rock suddenly broke free, and Takashi lost his foothold. It took nearly all of his strength to pull himself up, and by then, precious seconds had been lost. Breathing heavily now, Takashi scrambled up and over.

Suddenly he was at the ridge, and what had been a good idea in theory became terribly frightening in person. If he fell, it would be several feet downwards, into a large pit that, aside from breaking his legs, would essentially make him a waiting meal.

He shook his head, trying to shake the frightening images out of his thoughts. Takashi's knees bent, his calf tensed, and he ran toward the ridge, keeping only the other side in his sight.

Takashi leapt.

And then he felt a jerk from behind, a sudden grab that momentarily held him in midair.

"_I've got you now!_"

Takashi screamed.

_"Time to eat you!"_

He was flung onto the wet earth on the other side. A single hand, so large that it filled his entire vision, came down and paused over his belly.

"_Itadakimasu._"

Quicker than lightening, the fingers dove down, and then without mercy, proceeded to tickle Takashi until he laid there giggling helplessly, too out of breath to protest.

"S-stop!" he howled, when the fingers paused between tickles. "I surrender!"

Mercifully, the hand withdrew, and a large, horse-shaped face came into view, with two stubby cow horns at the top. He had arrived into Takashi's life a few months after Takashi had started living with Hinoe-san and Madara-sama. Like them, he had decided to stay, though the _youkai_ only came on certain occasions. Takashi considered the _youkai_ a friend, but Misuzu-sensei was more than that.

Misuzu-sensei was also his teacher.

"You were quicker this time," Misuzu-sensei said, chuckling.

"I was nearly there," Takashi said, pouting. He sat up, feeling oddly triumphant in spite of being caught. "I slipped on a rock when I was climbing the cliff."

"Which cost you."

"But I almost won today! Do you think if it had been another _youkai_ I would have gotten away?"

"Another _youkai_ may have been small enough to fit on the path and go directly after you instead."

"But if it had been as big as you?" Takashi persisted. "Would it have, do you think?"

"Probably not," Misuzu-sensei said agreeably. "You are growing faster and stronger."

Takashi grinned, pleased by the answer. He stood up, slapping dirt off his _monpe _trousers. After he readjusted his straw sandals, he nodded to Misuzu-sensei.

"I can carry the basket now."

A tall, circular basket was handed to him, two large straps attached on one side so that he could easily carry it on his back. It was filled with roots and the last mushrooms of autumn. It was something he used to do with Hinoe-san, but this year Misuzu-sensei had volunteered. The roots would be stored, while the mushrooms would be dried, though a little of both would certainly be eaten tonight.

"Do you think Hinoe-san will be happy to see how many we got?" Takashi asked, staggering a little under the weight before standing upright again.

"I presume nothing where Hinoe's emotions are concerned," Misuzu-sensei said gravely.

The path to Madara-sama's cave was wide and framed by tall dark pines, rendering it in shadow. Takashi supposed that if he hadn't been able to see _youkai_ that the place would have looked terribly scary, but to his eyes, the path was lively with traffic.

"Ah, little Takashi!" several voices squeaked out in greeting.

"Hello!"

"Back from the mushroom harvest I see," another _youkai_ called out.

"Mm, I'm going to eat lots tonight."

"_Takashi!_"

"Hello, Kinokappu," Takashi said, squatting down to greet one particularly tiny _youkai_. The _youkai_'s face could not be seen under the large, circular cap from which he got his name.

"Little Takashi. I see you're back from your harvest," he squeaked. "I don't suppose you would be willing to share? I have been working all day fixing my roof. Some careless fox had treaded all over it."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Takashi said. He reached behind into the basket and grabbed a mushroom. It was nearly as big as the little _youkai_, who staggered under the weight. "Here, I hope you can carry this. I have _nagaimo_ too, do you want any?"

"That's quite all right. Thank you Takashi. Thank you!"

With that, Kinokappu scurried off the path, eager to secure his new bounty.

Meanwhile Misuzu-sensei had waited in silence. As always, a smile remained on Misuzu-sensei's face, as if Takashi's conversation had given his teacher some time to relax. Nevertheless, Takashi felt a tinge of guilt. It wasn't polite to make your teacher wait after all.

"Sorry Misuzu-sensei."

"You coddle the weaker ones too much," he said.

"I'm small and weak too," Takashi pointed out. He could not explain why he helped the low-level _youkai_ when they asked him, but it always felt right. "And besides, I like helping."

They had reached the cave, and Takashi quickly darted in, pausing at the threshold out of habit to wait for his eyes to adjust to the sudden dimness.

"Hinoe-san, I'm home!"

There was nobody in the outermost cavern of course. Those who did not know better would think that the cave was unoccupied, which suited everybody involved, including Takashi. Instead, the main living quarters had been moved into a cavern past the pool, called unceremoniously the Third Cavern, chosen because the stalagmites and stalactites naturally sectioned bits of the cavern, making it easily defensible.

Suddenly the outermost cavern became even darker than before. Takashi quickly turned around, only to see that it was Misuzu-sensei, who had moved partially into the cavern so that his head was briefly blocking the little light that entered the cave mouth.

"I shall be going then, Takashi."

"Mm, bye Misuzu-sensei," Takashi said. "Thank you for going harvesting with me today."

"It was interesting, and I had nothing better to do," Misuzu-sensei said. "I will see you in two sunrises for your lessons."

"Okay."

Takashi heard a sound that was like the rustle of wind through the trees, and knew Misuzu-sensei had left.

* * *

Too excited to show Hinoe-san what he had found, he ran through the outermost cavern and past the pool cavern, lit by Madara-sama's foxfire, which had now been sectioned off for different uses. Its main use was for drinking and cleaning, but in the upper right corner was the fish pen, where quite a sizable number of fish could be kept until Takashi felt like eating them. With some of the smaller _youkai_ helping, the fish could live there indefinitely.

"Hinoe-san, Hinoe-san, look how many mushrooms I found today!" Takashi said, running into the Third Cavern. Its appearance differed from the other caverns in that its walls glowed with the light of several fires. Carelessly he dropped the heavy basket onto the ground next to where Hinoe-san was sitting, scattering mushrooms all over the ground. "I think we picked every single mushroom on the mountain," he said. "I went through every nook and cranny to look for them."

"Ah, I can see that," Hinoe-san said, raising an eyebrow. "You look like you took half the mountain back with you too."

"Oh…" Takashi looked down, where his formerly blue robes were now distinctly brown. His grey, woolen _monpe_ trousers appeared less affected, but were in fact just as filthy. His _tabi_ socks were caked with mud, never mind the sandals. "It was because I was digging for _nagaimo_," he said, taking a dirt covered root out of the basket.

"Nevertheless, you will wash your clothes today, or else you can go to bed hungry."

"It's not fair," Takashi complained, even as he went to get the bucket. "_You_ never get dirty."

"I am a higher-level _youkai_. Only lower-level _youkai_ and careless little human children get dirty," Hinoe-san said. "Now go and prepare the tub, or do I have to get up and make you do it?"

A fire for the tub was crackling merrily by the time Takashi had carried enough water to satisfy Hinoe-san. Takashi was soon stripped and soaking up to his neck in hot water, a blessing after a long day outside. When he was clean, the water was heated again, this time to be used for laundry. Evening had fallen by the time Takashi was done, and at that point his stomach was growling with hunger.

"_Taaadaiiiimaaaaaa…_"

"Madara-sama," Takashi exclaimed, his face pink from the bath. His hair, now shoulder-length, hung still-wet around his face. "He's back."

"And drunk," Hinoe-san said, rolling her eyes. "You dare come back empty handed?" she demanded of the white beast, who even now was threading his way clumsily through the stalagmites.

"_Nonsense. _I brought several bottles_._"

Looking slightly more mollified, Hinoe-san held out her hand for several jars of _sake_, attached together by thick rope.

"Go and dunk your head in the pool. You're useless right now."

"Mm… where's the welcome a creature of my noble nature deserves?" Madara-sama said, dropping heavily where he stood.

"_Okaerinasai_," Takashi said brightly, by now used to Madara-sama's drinking habits. He stayed where he was however. Madara-sama's breath reeked of alcohol. "Hinoe-san made stew." He grinned. "It actually tastes good today." The smack on the head from Hinoe elicited an even wider grin. "Do you want any?"

"Bah." Madara-sama attempted to raise his head, and could not. "I have no need of human food."

"I picked mushrooms today," Takashi said. "And _nagaimo_."

"Dunno what those are."

"A sort of root," Hinoe-san said. "After living with the boy for three years, you might learn."

"Useless knowledge."

It was not until night was well under way that Madara-sama sobered enough to respond normally. Takashi recounted the game of chase he had played with Misuzu-sensei that afternoon.

"I almost beat him!" he said proudly. "And Misuzu-sensei said that if it hadn't been him, I would definitely have gotten away."

"Hmph, Misuzu is not as good as I am. Next time I will chase you, and we'll see how well you do," Madara-sama said.

"Okay," Takashi said. He was well used to Madara-sama's competitiveness with Misuzu-sensei. Takashi had no idea why, but Misuzu-sensei had once hinted that he had bested Madara-sama in a contest, and Madara-sama was still bitter about the loss. He was not quite sure if the story was true, but kept his doubts to himself. Nor did he intend to ask Madara-sama directly.

He may only be a human boy, but he knew better than _that_.

For the rest of the evening, he listened while Hinoe-san and Madara-sama chatted amicably. Hinoe-san mentioned that a trip to the sea would need to be made soon, as they were low on salt. More kelp would also not be amiss. Meanwhile, the planks that had been curing in the outermost cavern were nearly ready. Takashi listened, knowing that it was for a building project, but the conversation meant little to him, and he soon found himself nodding off.

"Takashi, it's time for bed."

"Can you tell me about the first time you met Reiko again, Hinoe-san?"

"Eh? Didn't I tell you just two days ago?"

"But I want to hear it again," Takashi said. He laid down on the _futon_ that Hinoe-san laid out for him, placed over several abandoned _tatami_ mats to avoid the ground.

"All right. Close your eyes first."

Yawning, Takashi did so. As Hinoe-san's voice sank into a well-practiced cadence, Takashi tried to picture in his head the grandmother he was told he resembled. She seemed like a person of impossible proportions to him: both powerful and beautiful, battling hundreds of _youkai_, yet never even losing once.

He heard the scrape of claws over rock, and knew that Madara-sama was moving next to him. A few moments later, he felt the soft warmth of Madara-sama's belly, and happily cuddled closer. The familiar weight of Madara-sama's tail settled over him, and Takashi felt himself floating away. Somewhere above him, he could still hear Hinoe-san recount the moment when Reiko had dived into the lake after her hairpiece.

Then he heard nothing more.

* * *

Madara woke up to the sound of hammering.

"Good. Now make sure that this piece is well fitted. If done right, you shouldn't even need nails."

"Ugh, is there a reason why construction has to be done _so_ early in the morning?" Madara demanded, groggy-headed from last night's _sake_.

"It's already past noon!" Takashi said. The brat positively glowed with health, though that could also be from the sweat that was streaming down his face. Even with his hair tied up into a pony tail, long, golden brown strands clung to the sides of his face. "And you didn't wake up the entire morning either, and I was pounding just as loudly."

"Cheeky brat," Madara said. "I should eat you."

"You have to wait until I'm bigger," Takashi said, far too used to the threat by now to care. "I'm too tiny."

"I would have thought that we were feeding you enough that you would've grown at least ten times your original size."

The _youkai_ standing next to Takashi laughed.

Takashi pouted, an expression that Madara found both incredibly endearing—not that he would ever tell the brat—and made him want to snap.

"I don't know why I'm not growing," Takashi said.

"You are for sure," Daikujii said, chuckling. He was a slender _youkai_, with heavily muscled arms and short, stocky legs. As his name suggested, he specialized in carpentry, an odd hobby, but then, the _youkai_ preferred to haunt unfinished temples, so Madara supposed he would have picked up some skills. "You are growing stronger day by day, and I know for a fact that you have definitely gotten taller since last year."

"Really?"

"Ach, there's nothing to worry about. Humans grow so fast. You will be tall before you know it. Now, remember the wedge I showed you. We're going to fit this final corner. Once done, the rest is easy."

Madara winced as Takashi turned back to his work. Though Takashi had been working on it for a while now, he was still unsure of just why a platform, if that was what it was, needed to be built. A multitude of tinier _youkai_ scurried over the thing, smoothing and softening edges, while Takashi worked on something else. That they dared to enter his cavern without his permission soured him, but Madara was in no mood to yell at them today. Of course, they hadn't come to see Madara, they had all come to see Takashi.

Many of them did.

"Where's Hinoe?"

"She's outside, boiling seawater. And I think drying kelp."

"Ah. I think I will… go now."

Takashi nodded absently, already preoccupied with whatever it was he was supposed to be doing.

Madara did not quite flee, but even as the hammer slammed loudly against the wood, he could feel his legs move slightly faster. Even so, habit led him to check a certain alcove in the outermost cavern, protected and sealed by spells, which he made sure to renew regularly. Hidden inside was the Book of Friends. For a moment he took time to admire his own brilliance. Most would assume that such a valuable item would be hidden in the deepest part of the cavern. They would pass it by, never realizing that it was so close.

He had hidden it there a few days after he had picked up Takashi, and it had remained in there ever since. Naturally he had told no one that he had it, certainly not to Misuzu, though the stupid horse probably suspected. Even hidden, the call of the Book of Friends to those whose names are written within remains, however weak. Madara had not yet decided whether to tell Takashi or not. No, the child was certainly far too young. And such a thing did not belong in human hands anyway.

A careful probe indicated that the Book was still there, and that the seals were still good for at least a few more days. Seeing that it remained untouched, Madara continued on his way out.

"Come to escape the noise?" Hinoe said. She was lounging, her ever present pipe in her hands.

"He's working hard."

"Ah. We're raising a good boy."

Madara snorted.

"You say that like we're his parents."

"Aren't we?"

"We're _youkai_. Takashi is a boy, and a human one at that. He will grow and die before we know it. Never forget that."

For a long time, Hinoe is silent.

"Are you saying that for me, or for yourself? Madara," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm saying that it is you who needs to remember. Or am I thinking of another _youkai_ who curls up around the child every night?"

"It was cold. He was shivering."

Hinoe said nothing in response to that, but Madara saw a shadow of her usual smug smile, barely hidden.

"What exactly is he making anyway? The little low-level imps are all over it." He grumbled. "Once they would have been too frightened to even enter the edge of my territory. Now they invade daily with impunity."

There was a flash of disbelief on Hinoe's face, which soon changed to laughter. Once again Madara felt the tips of his ears burning.

"So much for being a parent," she said, once she was able to calm down enough to speak. "It's because your cozy little cave has a stone floor."

"It's always had a stone floor."

"Exactly, it makes it rather hard to stay warm. Or dig a hole for a fire."

"What does that have to do with building a platform?"

Hinoe rolled her eyes.

"For a so-called 'noble' creature you are incredibly dense." Madara grunted. "It's going to hold the four _tatami_ mats that Takashi has been sleeping on. Since it's raised, there will be a natural hole in the middle. We'll be able to use that hole as an ash pit."

"Ah." Comprehension dawned.

"Also, it'll raise him above the floor. Even with the _tatami_, it is not quite enough to keep the cold out."

"He's ridiculously healthy. Misuzu even told me that he has to work hard to keep up with the boy now during their chasing games." He couldn't quite suppress a tinge of pride. "A little draft won't hurt him."

"Winter's coming."

"He's lived through winter before."

"I suppose."

"I'm sure things'll be fine."

* * *

_Had it only been a few moons ago when I said that?_

Madara watched now, haunted by his then casual dismissal. He had been overconfident. So sure, that having successfully raised a human child for three years, he could handle anything.

But now the human child was dying, and Madara did not know why.

Takashi laid under the covers of the _futon_, his face so pale that he could be mistaken for _youkai_. He had been in that position for the past four days, at this point too weak to even sit up. For even longer the fever had raged, burning up the child's limbs, sending Takashi shivering even with three covers and Madara to warm him. And at that it was better than the alternative, Madara thought, remembering the coughs and shaking, teeth-chattering chills that had threatened to break the small frame. Strange coughs, full of sticky liquid. He feared sometimes that Takashi would choke on it, and thus die that way.

No. Madara shuddered, shaking the thought away. Takashi will not die. He will not let him die.

Suddenly Takashi broke into another one of his coughing fits, the ones that sent him curling into a ball and wracked the tiny body with pain.

Automatically now, Hinoe held out the cloth to catch the inevitable liquid that would come out of Takashi's lungs.

"He's getting worse, not better," she said tersely.

"Takashi's coughs are getting fewer and fewer."

"That's because his body is getting weaker and weaker." Hinoe held Takashi as the coughs continued, holding the cloth against the child's mouth.

However, something was different from before.

Madara's eyes widened in horror. Even without seeing it, he recognized the scent.

The scent of human blood.

"Madara, we can't keep doing this," Hinoe said. "This is a human illness. We don't have the ability to nurse him back to health."

"Surely there's something…"

"The lower-level _youkai_ have been bringing medicinal herbs and berries for days now," Hinoe snapped. "They do nothing."

Madara fell silent.

Even with his presence, the room was filled with lower-level as well as mid-level _youkai_. Nothing Madara did could have kept them from their beloved Takashi, especially at a time like now.

Takashi had drifted back into unconsciousness, but it was the swoon of weakness, not true sleep. He sighed, placing his head close to the child's head. A scurry of movement sent his head back up again.

"Quiet down, you little low-level imps. Don't wake up the child," he growled.

"Madara-sama, Madara-sama. Misuzu-sama has arrived!"

Misuzu lumbers in, his massive head just managing to fit in the inner entranceway.

"Have you found anything?" Hinoe asked.

Misuzu nods.

"Well?" Madara said, swishing his tail impatiently. "What is it?"

"You won't like it," Misuzu said, with just a touch of his usual amusement. It always irritated Madara. The stupid horse found humor in the worst times.

"Say it," Hinoe snapped, clearly no more patient than Madara. But then, she wouldn't be. Hinoe, being the only caretaker both small and large enough to directly care for the boy, had been burdened with the most tasks.

"The illness is not _youkai_ in nature," Misuzu said, his expression now solemn. "It is a human disease. The humans naturally, have a cure for it."

"So we can steal the medicine," Madara said. "Which is it?"

But Misuzu shook his head.

"No, Takashi's illness has gone on for too long. Simple medicine will not cure him now. He will need to be taken to one of those human places of healing. They will not refuse to care for a small child. Takashi will be in good hands there."

Madara jumped up.

"No!"

"If you want the child to live, then you will."

He growled.

"Take him back to humans? I will not!"

Madara could not have said why the idea of taking him back to the humans upset him so much. But every fiber of his being rejected that as an answer. Takashi mustn't return to the human world. Surely there must be another way. He paced, scattering lower-level _youkai_ in his wake.

"Calm down, Madara," Hinoe said, also standing up. "Nobody said anything about leaving him there with humans forever. There's no reason why we can't take him back when he's cured."

"Humans are unpredictable things. What if they hide him?"

Hinoe raised an eyebrow.

"Are you a _youkai _or not? Where can they hide him that we cannot go?"

Madara paused in his pacing, lowering his tail while he tried to process Hinoe's words.

"I still do not like this."

"What you like and dislike are not of our concern," Misuzu said. "The boy is the main issue here. Or would you prefer to eat him?" He looked down at Takashi, so still that the child appeared dead. "His power is still strong, and it would certainly be a quicker and far more painless death than this."

"You…!" Madara roared in fury.

"Ma… Mada… ra… -sama…"

"Takashi." Madara immediately rushed to Takashi's side. "Do not speak, Takashi."

"I'm scared," Takashi whispered. The boy's eyes fluttered, but did not open.

"Do not be scared. I am here with you."

"Am… I… dying?" The words were like air, barely heard. "I don't… want to… die."

Something in Madara twisted painfully. He lowered his head, his body stiff with anxiety, so that Takashi could feel him next to him.

"You will not die. I will not let you die."

Takashi did not respond. Once again, the boy had fallen unconscious.

"If we are to take Takashi to the human place of healing, it must be now," Misuzu said.

Feeling his heart sink down to the ground beneath him, Madara finally admitted what his pride had not allowed him to think before.

"Yes. Let's go now."

* * *

Takashi woke up to the sensation of whiteness. A light blazed over his head, bright and penetrating. He discovered that he could not move. It was as if all his strength had been taken away, leaving only a husk.

_Am I dead? Is this heaven?_

"Ah, you're awake," someone said. The voice was light and sounded female.

"Hinoe-san?"

"Is that the person who takes care of you?" A woman dressed in a white uniform appeared overhead, smiling down at him.

When Takashi simply blinked, confused, she smiled again.

"I'll let Watanabe-sensei know that you're awake," she said, and immediately left.

A few moments later, a man came striding through, and Takashi received his first shock.

_They're human. _

"So, our mystery patient," the doctor said. The smile on his face was easy and relaxed. "My name is Watanabe. I've been the one in charge of your recovery here. What's your name?"

Even with his confusion, Takashi never forgot who he was. He was a boy who lived with _youkai_. And that made him cautious. "I... I don't..." It felt so strange to be speaking to another human! "I don't remember."

"Can you tell me where you live?"

"I don't know."

Watanabe-sensei continued to smile, but he was clearly unhappy with Takashi's answers.

"Do you have parents? Who takes care of you?"

Takashi tensed, suddenly becoming frightened. Where was Hinoe-san? Misuzu-sensei? Everyone? And Madara-sama. With utter longing, he wished Madara-sama was by his side. Then a horrible thought occurred to him. Had the past three years been a dream? Was he even now waking up, having been found collapsed next to Shirokawa River? Was he about to be given to another family?

"Can you remember anything?"

"I…"

Just then, one of the many nurses in front of him parted, and Takashi caught sight of a purple robe.

"Hinoe-san!"

"What?" The nurses started murmuring to one another.

But Takashi was not looking at the doctor anymore. Hinoe-san smiled at him, then came to stand at the foot of the bed.

"We'll talk later," she said, when Takashi opened his mouth to speak. "Ask that man there if you're well enough to leave this place. Then we'll go home."

"Am I well enough?" Takashi asked, turning to the doctor. "Can I leave?"

"Ah…" the man blinked. "Well, there are a few things we need you to answer before you can go." Takashi stared at him. "Also, you are still very weak. We did manage to heal you, but if you're not careful you can get sick again. And you haven't eaten solid food for a very long time."

"How long was I here?" Takashi asked.

"Three weeks," Watanabe-sensei said solemnly. "And we almost lost you."

"Oh."

"You were placed in the hospital entranceway wrapped in an old blanket," he continued. "There was nobody next to you, and our cameras didn't show anyone there either." He smiled. "You're a bit of a celebrity now, to be honest. Since you literally appeared out of nowhere."

Takashi bit his bottom lip.

"Can you tell us where you were living until now?" one of the nurses asked. "Who has been taking care of you?"

He looked down and clutched his blankets, shaking his head.

Sighing, Watanabe-sensei turned to his nurses.

"Well, we'll let you rest for a bit while the nurse goes and gets your meal. Let's see if you can eat solid food first, all right?"

"Do you want us to leave the light on?" a nurse asked.

Takashi shook his head.

"All right then." She flicked the switch, but left the curtains open.

The moment she left, Hinoe-san went and pulled them closed.

"Let's leave now."

"But Hinoe-san, Watanabe-sensei didn't say…"

"He said he healed you of your illness," Hinoe said. "We will take care of the rest."

"My clothes…"

Hinoe-san smirked.

"They took them off you and changed you to those. But we found out where they took them." She reached into her robes, and took out Takashi's robes and trousers. "Useful, these humans. They even washed them for you. Wear them over what you're wearing now. Might as well."

Takashi sat up, then noticed the needle and tube in his wrist.

"Hinoe-san…"

"Mm, let's see if I can get it out," she said. "It should slip right out I think."

"Maybe you should go see how they take it out first," Takashi said nervously.

"You don't trust me?" Hinoe-san said, with her usual impatient glare. "Hold out your arm and stay still."

"I think you need to disconnect the tube first," Takashi said.

"Am I doing this, or are you?" Carefully, Hinoe-san removed the clear, sticky tape until it was just the needle that was still connected to his skin. "Okay, I'm just going to slip this out."

Takashi closed his eyes, too nervous to look.

"See, it's out."

Takashi opened his eyes to see Hinoe-san holding up the needle triumphantly.

"I'm bleeding."

"It's just a tiny hole. C'mon. Put on your clothes. I think…" Hinoe-san looked out the window, then smiled in satisfaction. "Ah see, I knew he'd be here."

In the window, a very familiar, furry white face loomed out of the surrounding darkness.

"Madara-sama!" Takashi shouted happily.

"Hurry up and get dressed, it's time to go home," Madara-sama said through the window.

Even in his weak state, his hands practically flew while he slipped the trousers on and made the final knots. Hinoe-san handed his long _tabi_ socks to him, and Takashi put them on. When he tried to get out of bed however, he found that his legs could no longer hold him up.

"Hinoe-san…"

"Here, I'll carry you. You've been in bed for far too long." Once Takashi was safe in Hinoe-san's arms, she turned to Madara-sama. "We're ready."

"All right, take Takashi up to the roof."

"Will they see me?" Takashi asked nervously. He had never sneaked out of a hospital before. There were butterflies in his stomach.

"Probably not. But I'll bundle you up just in case," Hinoe-san said, wrapping the long sleeves of her robes around him until Takashi could barely see a thing. "There." For a moment her eyes flashed with the first hint of sorrow he had ever seen. "You are far too light, Takashi."

"I'm sorry Hinoe-san."

"For what? Did you get sick on purpose?"

Takashi giggled.

"I want to go home."

She smiled down at him.

"Yes."

It felt odd to be walking in the middle of so many people who could not see them. Takashi watched the nurses with fascination, and stared at the strange equipment that was occasionally rolled down the hallway.

Suddenly, there was a shout from behind them and a number of nurses began running back where Takashi had come from.

"Ah, they've finally noticed," Hinoe-san said in amusement. "Perhaps we should have stayed a while longer for the free food."

Remembering the questions the doctor and nurses had asked him, Takashi shuddered.

"Are they going to be okay?"

"Why wouldn't they be?"

"I don't know…" He felt a tinge of guilt as the shouting grew louder, accompanied by panicked faces.

"There you go again, always worrying about things that don't need worrying about," Hinoe-san said. She opened a door, and they were in the stairwell, where she began walking her way up the stairs. "If you stay they'll only try to make you give them answers they wouldn't believe anyway."

Something about Hinoe-san's comment made a part of him ache. Not because it was false, Takashi realized, but because it was all too true. With humans, Takashi could never tell the truth. With humans, he would never be believed.

_I don't belong with them._

The door to the rooftop opened, and Takashi felt the winter wind blow ice cold against him. Immediately he was bundled up in several blankets, the familiar scent of Madara-sama's caverns indicating that they had been brought from there.

"You'll have to ride with him," he heard Madara-sama say.

"Madara-sama," Takashi began, but a lump was blocking his throat.

"We'll talk when we get back," Madara-sama said. Without another word, he started to run, leaping over the edge. Warm and safe in Hinoe-san's arms, Takashi cuddled down into Madara-sama's back, all of his tension and worry disappearing with the familiar feel of soft, white fur.

He was home.

* * *

The news that the mysterious child had disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared rocked the news channels for days, as police and experts were pressed to find an answer. An investigation was soon underway, but weeks of searching turned up no answers. They knew nothing about the child, not his name, nor where he had come from, and certainly not who, if any, were taking care of him. Doctors and nurses reported that the child had refused to answer any questions. It was a mystery that fascinated the community, and while the story remained local, would continue to be remembered for many years later.

It was the details of this story that would, over the course of several years, eventually reach the ears of a certain group of people. While most would say that while the disappearance of the child had been unusual, such a thing could have, perhaps, been explained by the mundane. Other reports, such as missing items, foodstuffs—the hospital had reported that four bags of rice had been stolen—could also have been the work of a thief using the confusion as an opportunity to steal. But that was the opinion of most. To others, the details of this case, and the many other unusual things that followed, pointed to something else.

Eventually, one single man was decided on. He was charged to find answers, and only answers of a certain kind. If none of that type were discovered, he was to do nothing. But if answers were found, the man was to report to them—after that, he was free to act at his own discretion.

* * *

**Chapter Notes:** Normally I would call this cultural notes, but since there are a lot of things that aren't quite cultural (rather, they are the result of a great deal of research), these are just going to be called chapter notes. There are a lot in this chapter, so for those who are interested or have questions, read ahead to have them answered! If you know _everything_, then don't.

1) Takashi's clothes: In this chapter Takashi wears what are the equivalent of traditional Japanese peasant clothes. The top robes are short, around the length of the _gi_ in martial arts, but made of much cheaper material. His trousers are _monpe_ trousers (a quick google search will bring up the images). His socks are obviously the traditional Japanese toe socks, and the sandals are made of woven straws, since wooden ones are not going to have enough traction in the mountains. Imagine something similar to Chihiro's outfit from _Spirited Away_, but with a top that is more a typical _kimono_.

Where did Takashi get these clothes you asked? Well, where do spirits get their clothes? I imagine there are some seamstresses in the spirit world. And if not, well, the spirits stole them (you'll find that this will be the answer to a great number of things).

2) Roots and mushrooms: Takashi was harvesting mushrooms in this chapter, an activity that is actually a Japanese pastime for some folk, due to the fact that these mushrooms are quite a delicacy. What Takashi was harvesting with impunity was the _Matsutake_ mushroom, a mushroom so expensive that the price can be $2000 per kilogram. They typically grow on the mountains, and only during autumn, so Takashi was perfectly placed to get them before everyone else. The roots Takashi picked were _nagaimo_, a kind of white root that, while it can be diced and stewed, when finely grated, comes out as this white, mucus-like stuff. Consequently, it is called _bukkake_ (yes, the bukkake we hear about in porn comes from its resemblance to er... that). It's actually quite good for you (the one from _nagaimo_, not the other stuff, you dirty pervert!), and you will see a lot of it used in soup and noodle dishes in Japan.

3) Seawater and kelp: Why was Hinoe gathering seawater and kelp? To eat of course! Naturally Takashi will miss salt in his food, and salt can be easily gained by simply boiling seawater, though it's far from table salt. This is a task that only higher level spirits can do, since salt has traditionally been a way to ward away spirits. Kelp of course, aside from being edible, can also be used as a base for many soups, stews, and other dishes. That is because it produces the lovely ingredient called MSG (OH NOES!), making things taste delicious. With such an easy, versatile and plentiful food source, it would be foolish not to harvest it.

4) Bath time: Takashi seemed to live in utter luxury, with heated water all the way up to his neck even! But really, though Takashi called it a tub (he doesn't know any better, the little guy), it's really only a little bigger than a wooden barrel (thus elevating it to tub status), placed on top of a fire. This was a common bathing method that is still done in some places. My mother bathed in this way when she was a child, though her barrel was made of iron. I was actually able to see a more luxurious version of this a few years back, though I did not use it.

5) The mysterious platform: Takashi was building a square platform that would be able to hold a typical four and a half _tatami_ mats, a typical arrangement. In his case, the place where the half a mat would be is left out, and a hole put in its place. The Japanese used this arrangement often, originally for cooking and warm fires, but nowadays for tea ceremonies. I imagine Hinoe probably got tired of (making Takashi) sweep out the ash.

6) The illness: The illness that managed to stump all of our lovely spirit friends was none other than pneumonia. Pneumonia in small children typically has the same symptoms as an adult. I made things a little more severe for poor little Takashi, since even with all the spirits trying their best, they obviously don't have a medical handbook on hand (not that they could read it in any case). While he was in the hospital, Takashi was eventually cured by injecting antibiotics directly through an IV. As for the IV, do NOT attempt what Hinoe did unless you are a trained professional. Just don't.

I hope this has served as both fluffy and educational.


	4. Chapter Three

**A/N: **Okay, so this chapter was long in coming. I know, I know. But I've been busy moving and I'm still a mess. So this fic was given lower priority, while _The Human Mask_, with its short vignettes, was updated regularly (hey I did warn you). But here it is, the chapter you've all been waiting for. I really appreciate everybody's support and reviews. They're the things that remind me that I have people who are waiting for me to update. And I did. This chapter is super long, so hopefully that will make up for the long wait.

Please read, and enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Three: When the Unthinkable Exists**

"How much further?" Shuuichi asked to no one in particular. It was an act that was reminiscent of a five-year-old child on his first outing, which Shuuichi had been playing to the fullest. Since he was exhausted, out of breath, and sweating up a storm, he felt that he was somewhat justified. The relative coolness of the mountain did little to alleviate the feeling. If his companions were human of course, then Shuuichi imagined that he would have long been thrown off the nearest cliff.

But they were not.

"We are approaching the most densely populated area on this mountain, _nushi-sama_." The answer was deadpanned, with no sign of annoyance.

"That had been a rhetorical question," Shuuichi said, but Sasago never responded to such corrections, instead bowing with her usual stoicism and returning to stand by. He sighed. He would never understand _youkai_.

The climb to their destination had taken most of the morning, nearly a four hour climb, no small thing. Shuuichi was suitably impressed with himself, though he wryly thought that any illusions he had about his general fitness had been well shattered by this assignment. It had in part been because of this illusion that he had accepted the assignment in the first place, and before that, why the others had considered him for it. When Sasago announced from within her seal that they had arrived, it was with visible relief that Shuuichi took a moment to catch his breath.

"Thank you, Sasago. Urihime, if you could scout ahead for me."

"Yes, _nushi-sama_."

Urihime, with her ability to control her hair like a weapon, was a more subtle _shiki_, which suited Shuuichi. He was about to enter an area that was heavily controlled by _youkai_, and he wanted nothing more than to be underestimated. Though Shuuichi held no love for _youkai_, he did not wish to enter into any unnecessary altercations with one either.

Even without concentrating, Shuuichi could hear the whispers and echoed voices of tiny, weak _youkai_. Not that it mattered. Shuuichi had not assumed that he could enter this area by stealth. The usual traditional robes and paper masks meant to conceal were wholly unsuited to mountain-climbing, especially one as dangerous as this. Privately Shuuichi wondered if that wasn't the point—certainly only the most adventurous of humans would dare this climb—and that kept the _youkai _in this area unbothered by humans and free to do whatever it was that _youkai_ did when left to their own devices.

Urihime maneuvered through the mossy, dangerously slippery boulders easily, her face wholly without any expression, except to occasionally glance toward a patch of especially noisy _youkai_. Every once in a while she would pause to wait for Shuuichi to catch up. While she displayed no signs of impatience, Shuuichi wondered if she wasn't sometimes exasperated with her clumsy, human master. Or perhaps not.

A times he wished that his _shiki_ would be a bit more forthcoming with their feelings.

Lost in his thoughts, it took a few seconds for him to realize that suddenly, the entire surrounding area had fallen silent. He noticed that Urihime was no longer immediately in his sights, a fact that, coupled with the unnatural silence, made him more than a little nervous.

And then there was a cry, much like the panicked sounds made by a small child.

Shuuichi rushed up, feeling a stitch in his side starting, while cursing the wet boulders for making his already exhausted muscles scream more in pain.

"Urihime," he said, and then he stopped short, mesmerized by the scene in front of him.

It was the first sizeable _youkai_ he had seen on this mountain. The _youkai_, wearing the face and body of a human child, was wrestling with Urihime, or rather, Urihime's hair.

"Let go! Let go of me!"

Urihime for her part was too deeply focused on the fight to pay attention to anything else. Despite the _youkai_'s relatively smaller size, it was certainly making Urihime work. Even as more of her hair grabbed the _youkai_'s limbs, other strands were breaking, and Urihime was being tugged along the irregular pathways between the boulders. No doubt the _youkai_ was more than familiar with the area, and was using Urihime's unfamiliarity to its advantage.

"Urihime, hold it down if you please. I would like to question it," Shuuichi said. Silently, he reached inside his jacket pocket for a seal.

The occasional flashes of fierce, golden eyes spoke of intelligence, a _youkai_ that would not be too frightened out of its wits once captured to answer Shuuichi's questions coherently.

But then the _youkai_, as if realizing Shuuichi's intentions, made an unexpected leap forward, and one fist managed to connect against Urihime's forehead. Much to Shuuichi's surprise, Urihime let out a sudden scream of pain, and in a flash of light that temporarily blinded him, Urihime was returned to her seal, which floated next to Shuuichi's feet. Shuuichi picked it up and placed it beneath his shirt, where she would be safe.

The _youkai_ looked just as surprised as Shuuichi, but not so stunned that when Shuuichi took a step forward, it did not immediately jump to its feet.

Shuuichi took a moment to observe the _youkai_. If it were the human child it appeared to be—girl… boy… Shuuichi was not quite sure—then he would have judged the child to be no more than twelve years old, though of course, _youkai_ could be hundreds of years old while appearing to be no more than ten. Few human children could also be as pretty, and the large, golden eyes coupled with long, golden brown hair gave the _youkai_ a delicate, doll-like appearance. The thin limbs looked like it could hardly have contained the strength necessary to fight an experienced and powerful _shiki_ like Urihime, never mind injure her so greatly that she would need to take refuge in her seal. It was also incredibly clear in Shuuichi's vision, which meant he had no need of his ever present spectacles to better view it, another proof of its power. In spite of Shuuichi's annoyance at the temporary loss of his _shiki_, he found himself impressed. Perhaps, with careful maneuvering, he could finish this assignment with three _shiki_, rather than just two.

"I'm impressed," he called up to the _youkai_. "You're quite strong."

"Just because I'm small doesn't mean I'm weak," it said. "Who are you?" It tilted its head slightly in curiosity. "I've never seen you on the mountain before." Then, again much to Shuuichi's surprise, its face brightened. "Are you a visitor?"

_It hasn't realized I'm human?_

"Aah, in a sense," he said. "I suppose you live here?"

"Mm," it said. "So why are you here?"

"You could say that I'm looking for answers," Shuuichi said. As he spoke, he noticed some of the lesser _youkai_ moving closer, as if protecting the _youkai_. How peculiar. He removed his spectacles from his front pocket and put them on, focusing them into view. "You see, a few interesting things have been happening on the bottom of this mountain."

"Interesting things?" the _youkai_ repeated. Now it looked thoughtful. "Oh… I guess they must have seen me…" Then it realized it had spoken aloud, and clamped both hands over its mouth, an act that amused Shuuichi.

"Is that a confession?" Shuuichi adjusted the glasses that were slipping down his nose, and observed the _youkai _again. The _youkai_ did not change in appearance, a fact that struck him as odd. Even powerful _youkai_ ought to change a little.

"Why does it matter that I get seen?" it asked, taking a nervous step back.

"Would you mind if you answered a few more questions for me?" Shuuichi said, taking a step forward. Again, he reached inside his jacket, but this time for a seal. If necessary, he would capture the _youkai_ within a seal first, then question it. It was not ideal, and those who ended up caught in such ways were rarely willing to become _shiki_, but then again, Shuuichi didn't _really_ need three _shiki_.

But he did need answers.

"You'll have to catch me first!"

In a whirl the _youkai_ turned around and ran, scurrying up and over the boulders with a speed and swiftness that was unnerving. Without thinking, Shuuichi chased after him, cursing under his breath while he stumbled and slipped. It was only due to his longer legs that he was even able to keep up with the _youkai_, and at that, it was just barely. His knees banged hard on a protrusion of rock, and he bit back a shout of pain. Adrenaline was keeping him going, but once things died down, Shuuichi knew that he was going to pay for it.

And the _youkai_ continued to scramble up and down and under, sliding in a controlled manner down shallow rivulets and mossy slips. Its breath was even, and on the occasion when Shuuichi caught it looking back at him, it was even grinning. The little imp was _purposefully_ not going at its full speed.

Shuuichi gritted his teeth, and vowed that when he caught the little imp, he was going to give it several lessons in manners.

By now the chase had garnered even more attention, and he saw through his glasses the figures of what looked to be hundreds of tiny _youkai_, all of them jeering and laughing and altogether enjoying the spectacle he was making of himself.

Then with a jolt and a desperate scramble, he found himself facing a dead end. When he looked up, he spotted the _youkai_ sitting high above at the top, swinging both legs casually. He silently cursed. If the cliff had just been several centimeters shorter, his long seal strip could have caught the _youkai_'s legs and dragged it down. Preferably with several painful bumps.

"You're awfully slow," it said. The _youkai_ frowned, as if thinking about something. Shuuichi however, was beyond caring. "If you can't climb up the cliff, there's a long curvy way around," it added, motioning to a path that had heretofore been unnoticed.

"How kind of you," Shuuichi said through his teeth, feigning a pleasantness he did not feel. Condescending little imp. "I will be sure to thank you once I've finally managed to catch you."

"Okay," it said absently. Dismissively, Shuuichi silently corrected. It evidently didn't think he was of any threat.

He vowed to show the _youkai_ otherwise.

Shuuichi immediately took off down the path, no longer caring about his surroundings. In his mind he visualized the wonderful feel of both his hands around the little imp's neck.

"Watch out!"

In his hurry, he had not realized that there was a rocky overhang. He skidded and slipped, trying desperately to stop, but by then it was too late.

The last thing Shuuichi saw was the blackness of rock growing ever larger. Then his world turned marvelously white.

After that, there was only blackness.

* * *

"Do you think he's okay?" Takashi asked, climbing down cautiously to look at the odd man sprawled on the rock. Some _youkai_, he knew, were hardly hurt by rock. This one could just be pretending, though if he had been, it had been an awfully good act. Even the weakest _youkai_ were faster than this man, a fact that made Takashi feel a flash of pity. And then guilt. Perhaps he had taken the game too far. He had known within seconds of the chase that the man did not have the skills to keep up with him, but it had been fun to see how long it would take for the man to catch up. Based on the results, Takashi had probably pushed the man a bit too much.

Odd _youkai_. Takashi had never met one who wore glasses before. And certainly not one who wore modern clothes. He wondered where the man was from. Perhaps _youkai_ from different places wore different clothes.

"Don't go near him, little Takashi!" several _youkai_ begged. "That one's bad news."

"Well we can't just leave him lying there if he's hurt," Takashi pointed out. "He said he wanted answers. Maybe he's looking for help."

"No no no, he wants to destroy us!" several more insisted. "Leave him alone and hide until Madara-sama comes back. He will take care of the intruder."

"But you guys all saw him," Takashi said. "He's not fast enough to catch any of you. How can he destroy us?"

"His kind don't need to be fast to destroy us," one _youkai_ said, and Takashi felt the fear and hatred in her words with growing alarm.

"What kind of _youkai_ is he then?" Takashi asked. Much to his surprise, he received a ring of giggles.

"_Not _youkai," they whispered. Some began to disappear from view, while others gathered closer around Takashi.

"Not _youkai_," Takashi repeated, deep in thought. Then his eyes widened in horror. "You mean he's human?!" Aside from the realization that here was the first human he had met who could also see _youkai, _the man had also seemed to possess some strange ability to command them. Even now, the memory of hair wrapping around his arms made him shiver. How had this slow, clumsy man done that? That decided it. Ignoring the complaints of the smaller _youkai_, he walked over to the man… the _human_ man, and began to examine him. "We can't leave a human to die!"

The beginnings of a magnificent bruise were starting to blossom on the man's forehead, and Takashi winced in sympathy.

"Come on, help me carry him," he said, calling to some of the _youkai _who were even now backing away. Puzzled by their uncharacteristic reluctance—normally Takashi was drowning in low level _youkai _helpers—he grabbed the feet of the man and began to drag him over the ground. When this proved to be slow going, Takashi once again searched for help. "Why do you help me, but not him? I'm human too, remember?"

"_But he's different._"

The whispered statement traveled and echoed among the trees, until all that remained was the constant drip of water on rock.

Sighing, Takashi looked back down on the man he was dragging, a man who was already heavy and would only grow heavier as time went on.

"I guess I'll have to do this alone."

With only the unusual silence to accompany him, Takashi continued to drag the mysterious man out of the boulder paths. And even as he did so, the statement made by the lower level _youkai_ continued to occupy him for the rest of the afternoon.

_What exactly made this human so different?_

* * *

The first thing Shuuichi noticed was that something cold, wet, and heavy seemed to be on his forehead. The second thing he noticed was that this thing, whatever it was, stank. Horribly.

"Wha—?"

"You probably shouldn't try to get up too quickly," he heard someone say, just as he saw white flashes in his vision and was forced to lie back down again. "Drink this." Something cold and liquid was pressed against Shuuichi's lips, and he instinctively swallowed. It was water. "Better?"

For the second time, Shuuichi attempted to sit up. This time he saw no stars.

"Much better, thank you."

The cold, wet heavy thing was still on his forehead, and he reached up to touch it. His hands met cloth, and when he pulled away, there was a greenish-brown, smelly residue on his fingers.

"Oh, don't touch that. I put a poultice on your bruise. You hit yourself pretty hard you know."

"Does it have to be so smelly?" Shuuichi said.

"It smells, but it works," came the reply.

The voice was familiar, and it took several minutes while Shuuichi gathered his thoughts before he realized why.

"You," he said, opening his eyes. Sure enough, there was the child _youkai_. It was squatting over a boiling pot, from which something delicious was cooking. Shuuichi smelled fish, what seemed like mushrooms, but surely not. At least, not _those_ mushrooms. His family was hardly poor, but even he did not often get the chance to eat Matsutake mushrooms. Pulling his mind away from food, Shuuichi looked at the _youkai_. "Why did you help me?"

"You were hurt," it said, as if that was enough.

But in Shuuichi's experience, _youkai_ rarely, if ever, acted so altruistically.

"I was trying to capture you," he pointed out.

"I know," it said. Then it paused, as if thinking. "Umm… Can you… can you…?" It fumbled, as if at a loss.

"Can I what?"

"Can you… see?" it asked.

"See what?" Shuuichi had no idea why the _youkai _was suddenly so nervous.

"_Youkai_!" it blurted. Its face reddened. "Can you see _youkai_?"

_What kind of question is that?_

"Of course I can," Shuuichi said, now completely confused. Surely the _youkai_ wasn't… then his thoughts ground to a halt as he studied the implications, all the odd little details that hadn't fit quite right. No, that was impossible. He felt his blood drain from his face. That was…

"Oh," the child, for Shuuichi was no longer sure if he was speaking to a _youkai_ any longer, smiled, all flushed cheeks and bright eyes. "I thought I was the only one until now, you know. I'd never met another one."

"Another what?" Shuuichi said, softly. Slowly, he edged himself closer, until the child was only an arm's length away. Then only a hand span. The child didn't seem to notice, lost in babbling that Shuuichi was no longer listening to.

When he placed his hands on the child's cheeks, the boy gave a start, and stared, wide-eyed, into Shuuichi's own.

"You're human," Shuuichi said. He could feel the boy's warmth, the sweat in the boy's hair. The skin was soft, and the body—Shuuichi dropped his hand down onto the boy's shoulder. Thin and bony. Solid, in a way _youkai _were not. "You're human."

"You are too," the boy said.

Shuuichi wanted to fall on his back and laugh hysterically, but he fought the urge to do so. Still, he couldn't help but grin when he once again observed the boy, this time noting the details that he had ignored.

The boy was like a child from the past. Dressed in long sleeved robes and cotton trousers that fell just past his knees, he would not have looked out of place in a peasant village a hundred years ago. It was summer, and so the calves and feet were bare, but Shuuichi did not doubt that once the seasons grew colder the boy would be wearing _tabi_ socks. Hemp rope was crossed and tied behind the boy, pulling the long sleeves out of the way and behind him. As for the boy's long hair, that was tied in a ponytail, though long bangs covered his forehead, and strands of hair brushed just under the boy's chin. It was a charming, traditional look. Rather adorable.

And also completely ridiculous.

"What's your name?" Shuuichi asked.

"Takashi," came the prompt reply. "Natsume Takashi."

"Natsume Takashi-kun. I see." Deciding to emphasize his adult status, Shuuichi added, "So you are Takashi-kun. And I am Natori Shuuichi. Nice to meet you."

Takashi smiled.

"Natori-san." The respect, Shuuichi noted, was automatic. "Natori-san, are you hungry?"

The rumbling of his stomach testified to his hunger.

"If you are inviting me to a very belated lunch, then yes, thank you."

The bowl of soup that Takashi passed over to him was the most delicious thing he had ever seen.

* * *

As the afternoon slowly began to fade into evening, the more Shuuichi got to know the boy named Natsume Takashi, the more questions he had.

For one, based on the briefings of the case that the other exorcists had presented to him, he now knew that the child who had suddenly appeared and disappeared in the hospital could be none other than this child. Whatever _youkai _that had been raising Natsume Takashi must have realized the severity of the child's illness and placed the then sick and ailing child for treatment, removing him the moment he was cured. It was a curious solution, something Shuuichi would not have expected a _youkai_ to think up. Considering how the majority of them were ignorant of most human doings, it must have been a powerful, intelligent _youkai_.

Then there was another question. How had a human child come to live on this mountain? Shuuichi now knew from personal experience that this was no easy place to reach. From the ease with which Takashi had navigated the slippery and highly dangerous mountain paths, he had obviously lived in these mountains for a long time. Even now, thinking about the chase he had stupidly given into caused Shuuichi to shudder. It had been foolhardy, an act of extreme hubris. A humbling experience as well. He had been fine with the idea that Takashi was a _youkai_. Even now, his heart rebelled at the idea that a _human_, never mind a child, could move at such speed and agility. To know now that Takashi was human put Shuuichi to shame.

And based on Shuuichi's earlier observation of Takashi, the boy was more than spiritually gifted. The fight with Urihime took on a different aspect, as Shuuichi realized that Natsume Takashi was not merely powerful, but probably the most powerfully gifted person he had ever met. Any exorcist clan, his own certainly, even the powerful Matoba clan, would fight tooth and claw at the chance to claim the child.

Shuuichi bit his lip, as he watched Takashi skipping happily ahead of him, occasionally stopping to chat amiably with one of the low-level spirits who had managed to gather enough courage to brave the presence of an exorcist. What little snippets of conversation he managed to catch were all in the same vein: they were all concerned about Takashi's well-being and wanted to know if the boy was all right.

He shook his head at the absurdity of _youkai_ worried that a human boy would be harmed by a human. But then Shuuichi thought of his own childhood, and he sobered. No, this child, who had no doubt been born outside an exorcist clan, would have been even more ostracized. Such a powerful gift would have manifested early, and if that was the case, then he might have even been abused by people who would not have understood what was going on.

Was that why Takashi was here? Had a _youkai_ seen the boy's gift, and done the unprecedented act of taking the child for itself?

Based on Shuuichi's understanding of _youkai_, the majority would simply attempt to kill or devour a human child with a powerful gift; in their eyes, it was ridding themselves of a potentially dangerous foe. But what if one had the foresight and innovation to think otherwise? Raise a human child to think of _youkai_ as friends, and they would have in their arsenal a powerful ally, rather than an enemy.

Perhaps Natsume Takashi had already been claimed—not by exorcists, but by _youkai_.

If that was the case, then there surely must be at least one powerful _youkai_ behind the child's upbringing. In spite of Shuuichi's fear and trepidation at the thought of meeting such a _youkai_, he was also excited. What he had discovered here had been beyond even his wildest dreams. Once word got out, it would take the exorcist world by storm. _Youkai_ raising a human child. It was not only unheard of, but unthinkable.

"Do you live alone, Takashi-kun?" Shuuichi asked, taking care to make his tone sound casual.

"Huh? Oh no." Takashi giggled, and for a moment Shuuichi wondered if the boy was going to turn his theories to dust and name all the thousands of low-level _youkai_ as his caretakers. "No, I live with Madara-sama."

_Madara-sama_.

The name sent a shudder down Shuuichi's back, though he had never heard of the name. Somehow, it raised his exorcist instincts, raising his hackles and making his senses alert.

"Madara-sama? Is he the man who lives with you?" Shuuichi asked casually.

"Huh? Oh. Madara-sama isn't a man. He's a _youkai_." Takashi grinned. "He's big and furry and white. He's also really grumpy and growls a lot, but he never means it." Looking up at Shuuichi through long, dark lashes, Takashi gave Shuuichi another reassuring smile. "You'll like him." But then, just as suddenly, doubt set in. "At least I think so."

"I see." Shuuichi however, did not see. Clearly the _youkai_ was in charge of Takashi, though where it was now, Shuuichi had no idea. Did the boy spend most of his time alone then?

"So where is Madara?" Shuuichi asked.

"I don't know." Takashi shrugged. "Sometimes he's off hunting. Other times he's off drinking. Now that I'm older and I can do things for myself, he's been going off on his own most of the time." Then he skipped happily ahead. "But he's always back at night!" he shouted, then ran ahead of Shuuichi before Shuuichi could say another word.

He heard exclamations and shouts of glee, and wondered, heart pounding, if it was Madara up ahead.

But to his surprise, the _youkai_ Takashi was now happily hugging was hardly large, furry, or white. Rather, it is a _youkai_ with a form of a woman. In her hand she held a packet, and on the other a pipe.

"Hinoe-san! Hinoe-san! You're back, you're back!"

"Naturally," it said, patting Takashi on the head. "And I brought gifts."

Shuuichi paused to observe the scene, watching as Takashi politely thanked the _youkai_ for the packet, opened it, and then gave a gasp of delight.

"_Manju_, Hinoe? And _dango_ and… oh Hinoe."

"I swiped a few, just for you."

Takashi reached in, pulling out a piece of spiral-shaped bread, filled with chocolate. Chocolate coronets—ordinary enough food for any typical Japanese, but Shuuichi was starting to realize that anything that involved rice, flour… baked goods, was a very rare treat for Takashi. And no wonder. The boy lived on an isolated mountain, and it would not be easy to gather rice, never mind bake your own bread. Sweets too would be very limited.

Shuuichi spied future opportunities to win the boy's favor.

By now the _youkai_ had obviously noticed Shuuichi, but though it eyed him on occasion, it chose not to address him, clearly waiting for Takashi to make the move first.

"Oh Hinoe, I completely forgot. I met a human today!"

"Did you now?"

"Yes, his name is Natori Shuuichi. Natori-san," Takashi said, looking back and motioning for Shuuichi to step forward. "Natori-san, this is Hinoe-san. She helps take care of me too, when Madara-sama is away."

"Which he is most of the time, the lazy oaf," Hinoe said, her eyes quickly assessing Shuuichi, then like Takashi, dismissing him.

It had to know that Shuuichi was an exorcist. There was no doubt: the sudden, predatory look in its eyes, quickly hidden, matched with the subtle challenge of tensing shoulders and shifting posture. This Hinoe, whatever it was, was no weakling either.

"Did you have your lesson today?" Hinoe said, turning back to Takashi.

"Oh yes. Misuzu-sensei taught me a spell to create a barrier that only lets in things I want," Takashi answered. "He said that I was the fastest student he'd ever seen. And next time," he said, eyes shining, "he's going to teach me how to create a barrier that's a separate world from this one."

"That's high level," Hinoe said, looking contemplative. Shuuichi saw the flash of surprise in her eyes, quickly replaced by something that, had Hinoe been human, he would have labeled as maternal pride.

That was impossible of course. Even the most powerful of _youkai_ weren't capable of human emotions.

Not that Takashi seemed aware of that. Takashi was positively glowing.

"So what else do you learn?" Shuuichi asked, cutting into the conversation.

"Mostly spells. And Misuzu-sensei taught me all the different kinds of _youkai_ that exist, their weaknesses and strengths. He's taught me how to read too."

"I've never met a _youkai_ who could read human language," Shuuichi said, using the moment to deliberately find out more about Takashi's life.

"Oh…" Takashi paused. "Misuzu can't read human language."

Which meant this _youkai_ "teacher" could only be educating Takashi in _youkai_ writing. And depending on when Takashi had been taken away from humans, this meant that the boy was essentially illiterate. Shuuichi stifled the urge to sigh. Here was a child, about ten years old, who had barely any education, was isolated away from humans, and practically wild.

_This cannot continue._

The longer Takashi lived in these mountains, the harder it was going to be to integrate him back into civilization. If the media caught wind of Takashi's existence, there would be a storm. This was where exorcists would come in useful, for the more powerful clans could intervene and at least give the child privacy.

Assuming of course, that Takashi would be willing.

But based on the way Takashi was happily dancing around Hinoe, taking large bites of his treats, the child was happy here. Content. And young enough to not understand the ramifications of his being isolated away from humans. Any attempt to return him to the human world would have to be by force, and based on what Shuuichi had seen of Takashi so far, the child would be very, very unhappy. And certainly skilled enough to escape and go off on his own again.

No, Shuuichi realized. There would be no easy answer here.

* * *

By the time Takashi had reached the cave, it was getting dark, and he immediately entered the mouth with a spell for foxfire on his lips. A few whispered words were all it took, and he paused, watching Hinoe-san for a reaction. It had been a long time since Hinoe-san had been back, and he wanted to show her how much he had learned.

"I see that we won't be needing torches much longer," Hinoe-san said, smiling.

Takashi beamed.

"I learned a lot!"

"I can see that. Now are you going to prepare a meal for our guest or are you going to leave the cooking to me?"

"I can do it," Takashi said quickly. He looked at Natori-san, who was looking around the cave with curiosity, but not much else. Takashi had a feeling that the man was thinking and thinking hard, but keeping a careful lid on those feelings. It made Takashi nervous, though he was unsure why. Still, Natori-san seemed nice enough. "Natori-san," Takashi asked. "Do you mind if we have more fish stew today? I can also bake some yams."

"That sounds wonderful," Natori-san said, smiling brilliantly. "It was good during lunch as well. You're an excellent cook."

"Hinoe-san taught me," Takashi said, which was certainly true. But secretly, he rather thought that his cooking was better. Not that he'd ever tell Hinoe-san. "You can sit on the _tatami_ when we get to the Third Cavern."

"Ah," Natori-san said, and remained silent until they had reached their destination. Oddly enough, Hinoe-san was also silent, her normally sharp tongue unused, her sharp eyes focused only on Natori-san, a fact that Takashi found odd. Did Hinoe-san not trust Natori-san?

He hoped not.

Takashi had not realized it until now—how much he had missed human company, how much he had needed to meet another human just like him. Natori-san could see, just like him, could hear, just like him. But most importantly, Natori-san had remained in the human world, and presumably he was accepted by other humans.

It was something Takashi was dying to find out, but he was also afraid to ask. To cover up his nerves, he busied himself with preparing the stew. The yams would be cooked later, wrapped in wet leaves and baked in the dying embers, ready for both of them to eat after they had finished with the stew. And for dessert, there were the things Hinoe-san had brought back. Takashi curled his toes in delight at the thought of eating baked bread, however cold it had become. Out of all things in the human world, he missed those most.

"Hinoe-san, are you going to eat with us?"

"No. I had a few things to eat before."

"Okay."

Only then did Takashi turn to Natori-san, his stomach doing a flip while he considered how to ask the questions he wanted to ask.

"Natori-san?"

Natori-san, sitting quietly on the _tatami_ mat, immediately looked up.

"Hm?"

"Do you, do you live with other humans?"

"I mostly live alone."

"Oh."

"I grew up with a family who thought I was cursed because of what I could see," Natori-san continued, half musing. He must have noticed the look on Takashi's face, because he smiled. "Mine was unusual though. There are whole families with my ability who are well respected. And they look for people with abilities like ours."

"Those who can see _youkai_?"

"Exactly."

The idea that there were whole families of people like Takashi was amazing to him. He felt a brief bubble of delight, quickly suppressing it as he concentrated on the stew he was making. Surely he could be friends with humans, talk with them… perhaps visit them. People who understood his ability and would not reject him. And then, for a brief moment, a thought simmered in his subconscious, subtle and insidious.

If only he had been born in such a family instead.

* * *

Night fell, and Shuuichi watched while Takashi busied himself with supper, the guilt of watching a small child doing all the work eventually forcing him to rise and offer his hand to help. Takashi however, waved him away.

"I'm used to it," Takashi said, smiling while he stirred the stew and added a pinch of salt taken from a handmade pot. "And I _never_ get guests."

"I would still like to help," Shuuichi said. "It is strange for an elder to watch a child do all the work." He paused, observing the expert way Takashi added in sliced mushrooms and mountain vegetables. "How old are you anyway?"

Takashi froze in what he was doing.

"I'm…" he paused. "I _think_ I'm twelve." He looked up. "Is it July yet?"

"It is."

"Oh. Okay. Then I'm twelve."

Twelve.

Shuuichi stopped himself from making a noise of protest. At twelve, Takashi should be going to school, attending junior high and interacting with children his own age. Not trapped on a mountain, isolated from humans, and living in what was at best be primitive conditions. And based on the joy Takashi was displaying just by knowing that someone like Shuuichi existed, the child was no doubt lonely. Interesting. Shuuichi began to reassess his earlier calculations. Perhaps it would be easier to get Takashi away from here than he thought. All that was required was careful handling.

"Done!" Takashi said. "And now I'm going to wrap the yams and bake it. We'll be able to have it after the stew.

"Wonderful," Shuuichi said, smiling at the child.

The meal went relatively quickly, though Shuuichi never forgot that someone was watching him at all times. From the corner, Hinoe was eyeing him, the spirit's eyes flashing on occasion, her expression unreadable. Clearly she had no intention of saying anything while Takashi was still around to hear, but he had feeling that the moment Takashi was asleep, Shuuichi would be getting an earful.

"_Ta… dai… ma…_"

Takashi actually squealed before jumping up and running toward the cave mouth.

"Madara-sama! Madara-sama!"

A massive, large white head appeared in the entrance, partially covered by Takashi, who was happily hugging the head.

"You were out later than usual today, Madara," Hinoe said, standing up from her corner.

"He drank less today," Takashi said. "His breath doesn't stink so much."

"Imp," the white monster said, for at that size, it was all Shuuichi could think of to describe it. It was amazing that Takashi remained completely unfazed. "Insolent. I should eat you."

"But you won't," Takashi said, giving the monster another hug.

The monster entered the cave, and Shuuichi was able to see just how large it was. Gigantic, it towered halfway between floor and ceiling, which was already cavernous. Shuuichi estimated that the creature was at least two stories tall, and the powerful claws and long, powerful tail were no small thing. He did not want to think of those jaws crushing Takashi to pieces. Or grinding his own bones down to powder.

"And who is this?" it rumbled, turning the large head toward Shuuichi.

"He's a guest!" Takashi said. "His name is Natori Shuuichi. And he's like me, Madara-sama." Takashi looked at the two of them happily, oblivious to the immediate tension that had filled the air. "I didn't know there were other humans who could see."

"Well, they are rare," Hinoe said, coming over. "And Takashi, I think it's time for your bath. Then bedtime."

Takashi did what any boy did at being told to go to bed. He pouted, whined, and looked to the monster for support. Both _youkai_, Shuuichi noticed however, were adamant. Clearly they were used to Takashi's ploys.

"Bath water. Go get it."

Lips still protruding from puffed out cheeks, Takashi went to fetch a bucket Shuuichi had not noticed before, then headed to the other cavern.

Both _youkai_ turned to Shuuichi then.

"Exorcist, we know what you are," Hinoe said, for the first time addressing him directly.

"Then you know what I was sent here for," Shuuichi answered, nodding his head.

"You will not take him," the monster said, pacing forward, the red markings on its face making it appear even more intimidating. "If you try, we will destroy you."

"And what makes you think that this is my intention?"

"Exorcists all work the same way," Hinoe said. "We know. And if you attempt to take the boy, we will do everything within our power to stop you."

"More will come, you know," Shuuichi said.

The _youkai_ fell silent, and Shuuichi soon saw why. Takashi was back, dragging a bucket of water.

"Natori-san, do you want a bath?" Takashi asked.

"No, that's fine," Shuuichi said. "I still have this poultice you put on me. I would like to leave it to work a while longer."

"Oh, good point," Takashi agreed. "Well, if you want a bath tomorrow, I can do it then."

"No, I'm all right," Shuuichi said. He watched quietly, as Takashi poured water into a wooden tub, then got up to fetch more. Meanwhile, Hinoe had gotten up, and was busy preparing firewood to heat the tub.

Nobody spoke while Takashi did this except directly to the boy himself, all of them interested in keeping Takashi unaware of the tension that was steadily increasing in the cavern. The boy had no modesty, stripping to nothing and hopping into the tub without a thought for Shuuichi's presence. During this time, he chattered happily, both to Hinoe and to the monster, talking about his day as only a child could. Occasionally Takashi would ask Shuuichi questions, which he tried to answer as best he could.

Once the bath was over, Takashi dressed in a different set of clothes, this time a simple off-white sleeping robe.

"Natori-san, I'll get out the _futon_ for you. You can sleep on the _tatami_ today, since you're a guest."

"I would hardly wish to deprive you of a bed," Shuuichi protested.

Takashi giggled.

"But I have an excellent bed," he said, eyes wide and innocent. Immediately the child turned toward the monster that was now lying down, massive head resting between two formidable paws. "Madara-sama…" The tone was wheedling.

"Hmph, you are getting too big for this you know."

"No I'm not. I'm never too big," Takashi said cheekily, running to the beast and jumping directly onto its large, furry belly. The monster grunted at the impact, but otherwise did not move. Takashi cuddled into the fur, his expression that of complete bliss. Shuuichi watched, half bemused and amused, as Takashi practically melted into the fur. This, he realized, was a contented child.

Then the beast swept its tail forward, covering Takashi until only the top of the face showed. Takashi let out a quiet sigh.

In moments he was fast asleep, as only a contented, happy child could.

And as he did so, the white beast raised its head, and gave Shuuichi another challenging stare. Shuuichi swallowed, but acknowledged the point the monster was now triumphantly making.

"Things are more complicated than you humans assume," it said.

"I see," Shuuichi said.

No, Takashi would not thank Shuuichi for ripping him away from what was, to the boy at least, his family. The relationship had gone too far, too deep. Some of course, would argue that a quick break, however messy, would be for the best. However, having seen things for himself, Shuuichi was starting to wonder. He himself favored returning Takashi to the human world.

But such a change would have to be gradual.

Such a thing would not happen however, if Shuuichi reported the situation to the other exorcists. They would demand the child's immediate removal, using whatever means possible. It would traumatize the child, Shuuichi knew. And in the short time he had come to know the child, Shuuichi had discovered that he liked Takashi. He was happy and eager to learn. Bright, not to mention incredibly spiritually gifted.

A friendship, perhaps?

It was the only way. To eventually lead Takashi to decide, on his own, that returning to humans was in his own best interest. Shuuichi was confident that he could do this.

"As you know, I've been charged to report back," Shuuichi said.

Immediately, both _youkai_ turned to face him, their postures tensing at his words.

"Then there will be a war," Hinoe said flatly. It knew of course, that it didn't matter if Shuuichi were killed now or allowed to return. The result was the same. Exorcists would come to the mountains.

"Only if I decide to report everything," Shuuichi said.

This answer was apparently unexpected, which pleased him.

"Explain."

"I will report that while this mountain is filled with powerful _youkai_, that the majority are weak and are given to the occasional, harmless pranks. In other words, this mountain is uninteresting."

"And what do you want in return?" the monster asked, narrowing its eyes.

"Unlimited access to the boy." Seeing the monster about to growl, Shuuichi smiled. "As a friend. And I will be able to give Takashi some basic knowledge of the human world. You know," he added, seeing both _youkai_ about to protest. "You know that you cannot keep Takashi away from humans forever. And when that time comes, you want him to be able to pass for a normal child. Otherwise there will be trouble."

"Done," Hinoe said.

"Hinoe!" the monster rumbled, Takashi's sleeping presence the only thing keeping him quiet.

"It works in our favor," Hinoe pointed out, giving Shuuichi a sideways look. "I know what you're planning, exorcist. You're hoping to use your influence to entice Takashi back to the human world." She smirked. "I think you'll find it harder than you think."

"Challenge accepted," Shuuichi said, flashing his teeth.

Hinoe laughed.

"Indeed."

"A challenge indeed," the white beast said, baring its own teeth, which were sharp and as large as kitchen cleavers. "Watch, exorcist. Watch and see."

Shuuichi nodded.

From then on, that was what he did. He watched. And Shuuichi made plans.

* * *

**Chapter Notes: **Not much that we did not already learn in the previous chapter, except one thing. In this chapter, Takashi put a poultice on Natori's head after he received a huge bruise from essentially hitting a rock in the face (I so want this scene animated). This poultice is made from a real plant, called comfrey. It's a hardy plant, and will grow just about anywhere. Gardeners will testify just how hard it is to get rid of once it's taken root. However, it does have amazing healing properties, and in Japan was used traditionally for bruises, which is what Takashi uses it for. It can also be used for tea, though I don't recommend it. The plant is apparently very... pungent. I'm sure Natori felt he was suitably punished for his foolishness, haha. Lesson learned: don't go chasing after children on dangerous rocky mountains.


	5. Chapter Four

**A/N: **So I did promise this week. And I did! Except now I'm going to be late for The Human Mask. Gaaaah. You guuuuys. This is so hard you guys. Writing this chapter was like pulling teeth. Both Takashi and Natori were being uncooperative. Anyway, I'm sure you have all waited long enough. Please read and enjoy.

* * *

**To Retrace the Steps of What Had Been**

"Here," Natori-san said, heaving a bag over his shoulder and handing it to Takashi. "It's just as well that _youkai_ don't know anything about human food," he teased, as Takashi peered into the bag and stared at the contents with steadily growing delight. "They would kill me if they knew I was feeding you this much junk food."

"I won't tell them if you won't," Takashi said happily, grabbing a package of instant ramen. "Oh, you got more of the cheese curry flavor. I love this one." He looked up, and for a brief moment the two of them shared a conspiratorial look.

"I'll go heat the water," Natori-san said, standing up. "Neither Madara or Hinoe are here right now, right?"

"Mm. Hinoe-san left to deal with some issues that the low-levels raised with her over on the next mountain, and Madara-sama… well Madara-sama is probably somewhere drinking." Takashi rummaged inside the bag and began opening a bag of butter and soy sauce flavored popcorn.

"You're going to eat dessert before lunch?"

"It's not dessert," Takashi said, taking another bite of popcorn and closing his eyes with bliss. "It's the vegetable part of the meal."

Natori-san chuckled.

"Cheeky brat, you're lucky that I'm in on this with you. Here," Natori-san paused, grabbing a large handful of the popcorn. "I'll try to minimize the junk you're eating."

"I only eat like this when you visit," Takashi said.

"I suppose," Natori-san said between bites of popcorn. He turned around and looked at the clay pot of water that was simmering over the fire. "Ah, the water's boiling."

Takashi began ladling the boiling water into his now open cup of ramen, while Natori-san began opening his own. They chatted about small nothings while they waited for the ramen to be ready—Takashi spoke of the neighboring bird _youkai_ who had recently hatched a pair of twins, while Natori-san shared a funny incident that had happened at the studio he worked in. Takashi found the description both fascinating and repulsive, an unknown world for which he had only a smattering of memory. But here in the mountains, surrounded by _youkai_, things such as being an actor on television felt distant and unreal.

Then the ramen was ready, and all conversation abruptly stopped. For a while there was only the sound of chewing and slurping as the two of them concentrated on their meals. Natori-san was done first, and he sat watching Takashi, a faint smile on his lips.

"So what shall we do today?" he asked, when Takashi was finally done with his own meal. They burned the trash in the fire Natori-san had built to boil the water earlier, then scattered the ashes. In a place as wet and rainy as this mountain, there was no need to worry about a forest fire.

"Have you recovered from the last time when we went exploring?" Takashi asked, grinning.

"Hardly," Natori-san said, grinning in return. "It is hard enough climbing up this monster of a mountain week after week. Though," he pauses, for a moment thinking of other things, "it has done wonders for my stamina."

"Maybe you will act in action shows next time," Natsume says brightly, at which Natori-san bursts out laughing.

"No, no it is romances for me, hopefully. I have no desire to work that hard. The stunt men, the wait time…" Takashi waits politely while Natori-san goes off talking about things that was, as far as he was concerned, as distant as the stars.

"Maybe I will be able to watch them someday," Takashi said brightly.

"You brat, you weren't listening to a word I was saying," Natori-san said.

"Nope!" The smile on Natori-san's face faded slightly, and Takashi caught the change and wondered if he had, in that moment, hurt Natori-san's feelings. "Natori-san? It was just a joke…" he began.

"Do you never want to go down to see what it's like in the human world?"

"Huh?" Takashi's eyes widened, and then bit his bottom lip. The uncharacteristic expression on Natori-san's face, sober and filled with an undecipherable emotion, became too much for him. Natsume looked down toward the earth. "I don't… I wouldn't mind a visit once in a while. I guess."

"But not to live?"

"I don't belong there," Takashi said, feeling his emotions finally settle. This he knew for a fact. He was a person who could see _youkai_. He would never be able to fit in with other ordinary humans without confusing, terrifying, or hurting them. Especially hurting them. "Not with them," he added, putting more conviction into his words.

_But Natori-san lives with other humans. Works with them. And then there are others… whole clans._

For a moment Natori-san was silent.

"As you are now, perhaps, you don't belong. You've lived away from other humans for far too long. Enough that you can't blend in."

Takashi nodded. This too, was also true.

"I can teach you how to blend in again." Natori-san sighed. "It will take work though. The lessons you have with your teacher now are nothing compared to the work we'll have to do. And, well," Natori-san laughed. "I'm no teacher. So it will be a learning experience for the both of us." He gave Takashi another look, but this time his eyes flashed with challenge. "Well, Takashi-kun? Shall we try? Or are you too afraid?"

Takashi bristled.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Are you going to live the rest of your life among _youkai_ because you're too scared to try to live with your own kind?"

The words challenged him, wanted to make him stand up and deny the statement. But then he remembered that first night. The night Madara-sama had found him.

"I can't," he whispered. Tears welled up, startling Natori-san. "It's not because I'm scared. But I can't. I mustn't. I'm…" Takashi looked down, feeling too many contradicting emotions to face Natori-san. Guilt at who he was. Terror that Natori-san would reject him after this. And hidden beneath it all, there was hope.

"Takashi-kun…"

Natori-san reached out a hand and placed it firmly on Takashi's head, who jerked upward, staring at Natori-san through tear-streaked cheeks.

"Na-Natori-san?"

For a long time, Natori-san simply looked at Takashi, his hand never leaving Takashi's head.

"Takashi-kun, human children don't have the power to cause misfortune you know. You're just a child. An ordinary, innocent child."

Takashi's eyes widened.

He wanted to believe. Desperately, with all his heart. And yet Madara-sama… But Natori-san was human, and had said himself that he had experienced hardship as a child, just like Takashi.

"Are you sure?"

With his other hand, Natori-san reached into his top coat pocket to take out a handkerchief, which he used to begin wiping the tears off Takashi's cheeks.

"It is not the child's fault that adults are unable to cope with someone who is different from them," Natori-san said, with the solemnity of someone who believed what he was saying, with all his heart.

_He's gone through it before_ Takashi realized, as he watched Natori-san's eyes cloud over, as if reliving an unpleasant memory. _He understands._

Unbidden, a feeling of intense kinship rose in Takashi, threatening to once again spill over into tears.

"Do you think… do you think I could learn to pass?" Takashi asked, hating the additional hitch at the end of his voice.

Natori-san smiled at him, placing an arm around Takashi's shoulder and drawing him close.

"I don't think, I know," he said. "Shall we try?"

Takashi nodded.

* * *

"We'll start off small, shall we? Just short visits in the town where most people won't notice you. Like buying something at the convenience store."

Takashi nodded, his eyes still teary bright, a fact that made Shuuichi's heart wrench for just a second. It was hard to pull himself back, to remind himself that Takashi was not a younger version of him.

After all, Takashi, unlike him, was loved.

The lonely hours Shuuichi had spent growing up feared, cursed and hated had been but a brief moment in Takashi's life. Though others would claim that _youkai_ were incapable of feeling love, to Shuuichi, that argument was a moot point. After all, the result was there for all to see. Anyone seeing Takashi would be hard put to deny that the child had been emotionally as well as physically cared for. The very picture of a happy child.

Yet the fear that Takashi was a cursed human, that his existence caused misfortune to others, particularly to other humans, had been an unknown wound that Shuuichi would not have suspected of existing even in his wildest dreams. Where had this fear come from? An inkling of suspicion rose, which Shuuichi quickly suppressed, to be examined later. If he was correct, then here was another wedge, a weapon that he could use to ultimately lead Takashi back to the human world.

To take up the life he should have had.

Shuuichi gave Takashi an occasional glance, watching as Takashi struggled to remember the basic characters that he should have already mastered.

"Need any help?" Shuuichi asked.

"It doesn't make sense," Takashi grumbled, puffing his cheeks out in a childish pout. "_Youkai_ writing is a lot easier."

"Ah… is it now?" Shuuichi asked. Curiosity overcame him, for _youkai_ writing was an occasional subject among exorcists, its existence proof that _youkai_ were unreasonable and incomprehensible beings. It was generally an accepted belief that _youkai_ script was impossible for humans to master.

Obviously, with Takashi sitting before him not only reading scrolls written in _youkai_ script, but writing them himself, Shuuichi was having to reassess this long-held assumption.

"Yeah. You just… feel it. And then you know," Takashi said.

"Does it change then every time you write it?"

"Sometimes," Takashi said, as if a constantly changing script was perfectly normal. "But there are some words that are always the same." He paused. "Well, mostly the same."

"I see." Shuuichi smiled. "Well, how about I help you with human script, and you in turn teach me some _youkai_ script?"

"Sure!"

Shuuichi watched Takashi return to his lesson with a sense of growing fondness. In spite of their initial meeting, he was finding that he looked forward to spending time with Takashi. He had been an only child, and a cursed child at that. If he had had a little brother who also shared his ability to see _youkai_, perhaps he would not be so cut off from others now.

The child had an innocent, naïve air that Shuuichi found refreshing. It was something that was seriously lacking in the exorcist world, a fact that temporarily sobered him. With Takashi the way he was, there was no way he would be able to coexist peacefully with most exorcists. And yet, that the child would be eventually drawn into that world was a given.

It was Shuuichi's responsibility to ensure that when the inevitable happened, Takashi would be seen as an ally, not as an enemy.

* * *

When the glass doors opened, Takashi was met with a blast of cold air, followed by the chiming of bells. It was an experience that was both nostalgic and alien, and for a second he paused, blinking at the bright lights and at the overwhelming sensory overload. He felt himself pushed gently forward, then guided one stumbling step at a time to the closest aisle.

"Are you okay?" Natori-san asked.

"I… I think so," Takashi said, pulling the hood of the baggy sweater Natori-san had bought for him further down over his head. He was oddly self-conscious of the way he looked—though he knew that his hair was hidden by the hood, it had not escaped him that most boys did not have long hair. He wriggled his toes, unaccustomed to the feel of leather and fabric. The pants had to be held up by a belt, and the shoes were slightly too big for him, but better that than too small.

It was not like Natori-san had been able to take Takashi to the store to try on clothes, so Takashi did not complain. Natori-san had also added that bigger clothes meant that he would be able to grow into them, implying that there would be more trips after this.

At the moment though, Takashi was feeling doubt of ever coming back again. Feelings that he had thought he no longer felt were bubbling just beneath the surface, threatening to spill out into the open.

"You look fine."

"But I don't feel fine!" Takashi said, and pulled at the pants of his jeans. He wasn't willing to say out loud what was really bothering him. "They're too stiff."

"It'll soften the longer you wear it," Natori-san said, putting his hand once more against Takashi's back and maneuvering him away from the cluster of people who had just entered.

Takashi followed Natori-san obediently, but curiosity overcame him and he turned his head slightly to watch the people who had just entered.

It was a group of boys around Takashi's age.

They were laughing and shouting, chattering with occasional friendly shoves that were just short of being rowdy. Despite the nerves he was feeling, Takashi couldn't help but stare at them; his emotions, already chaotic, became too mixed for him to sort them out properly.

"Takashi-kun?" Natori-san asked, but his name came out as a whisper, as if Natori-san too was feeling some of what Takashi was experiencing, if further removed.

He probably did. After all, Natori-san too had grown up being rejected.

Takashi looked away from the boys, turning his head back to Natori-san with a visible force of will. Memories, painful ones, were playing in his head. Images of rejection, of taunting, snickers and sneering whispers.

_The ones I live with now accept me for who I am._

But it didn't stop the memories of rejection from hurting any less.

"Shall we go take a look at the ramen aisle?" Natori-san asked, smiling faintly.

"Mm." Takashi nodded.

It did not take long for the two of them to make their selections. After the ramen and snacks, Takashi made a beeline for the breads, selecting a chocolate cream coronet and melon bread. He managed to pay for their purchases without too much trouble, though the clerk looked at Takashi's hood curiously. Seeing Takashi's discomfort, Natori-san came to his rescue, smiling charmingly at the clerk.

"My little brother got a bad haircut the other day," he said.

The clerk smiled in return, blushing under Natori-san's gaze, then gave Takashi a more sympathetic look as well.

"I've had that happen to me before. But it'll grow out," she said, smiling indulgently at Takashi.

Takashi opened his mouth, then closed it again, settling for glaring at Natori-san, who seemed oblivious to the attention.

"Why did you say that?" Takashi demanded later, when they were sitting outside on a park bench.

It was empty of people, a fact that he found relieving. There were tiny _youkai_ scuttling around in the grass, peeking out behind leaves. He relaxed. There had been _youkai_ on the streets and in the convenience store also, but he hadn't dared react to them. Here at least, he could be who he was without worry.

"It knocked you out of your mood, didn't it?" Natori-san said. He opened his packed lunch—udon noodle salad and a tuna-stuffed onigiri—and motioned for Takashi to eat as well.

"I wasn't…" Seeing Natori-san give him a _look_, Takashi paused. "Well, it…" He sighed. "It doesn't matter. Even when I was living with humans, I had never been able to be like that."

"Like what?"

"Surrounded by friends. Nobody wanted to be seen with me." Never mind be his friend. He forced himself to smile. "But I have tons of friends now," he said brightly, giving Natori-san his best cheerful look. "And I have you too, Natori-san."

With that, he unwrapped the melon bread and bit into it, telling himself that he was going to _enjoy_ the sugar encrusted cookie crust. Takashi ignored the sigh from Natori-san, and almost managed to get halfway through the melon bread before a gentle pat on the head from Natori-san started the tears flowing, and suddenly Takashi found himself enfolded in the man's arms as he began to sob.

He did not know how long he cried, but when the tears finally stopped, there was another long moment of silence, where Takashi simply allowed himself to be held. Natori-san's presence was comforting, yet different from what he was used to. Not overly affectionate, like Hinoe-san's, or protective like Madara-sama's, but good in its own way.

"I think we've had enough of an adventure for one day," Natori-san said, pulling away from Takashi enough to give him a good look over. "Ready to go home?"

Takashi nodded. He felt an ache in his heart when he thought of the mountains. Home—and the _youkai _who dwelled there—had never felt more welcoming.

"Feeling better?"

He nodded again, and this time Natori-san gave a sad little nod of his own.

"It will get better, Takashi. And remember what I said about people like us."

"Are there… kids like me too?" he asked.

"Of course. Not as much as before, but there are. And there are others who can feel and sense _youkai_, but not see them."

"And I'll get to meet them someday?"

"Someday."

Natori-san seemed oddly strained with that last statement, but Takashi was too emotionally worn out to care. He stood up, pulling his hood back over his hair, the remains of his food stuffed into a plastic bag. Those would be eaten later, to be slowly savored.

"I want to go home, Natori-san."

"All right," Natori-san said. Again, the man's voice sounded oddly strained. "Let's take you home."

* * *

Though Shuuichi worried that Takashi would not want to go down the mountain after that first disastrous episode, the second time he asked Takashi, the boy surprisingly did not refuse.

"Shall we try going to a family restaurant this time?" Shuuichi asked. "We'll go to a noisy one."

"A noisy one?" Takashi asked. There was a barely hidden film of panic that colored the way the boy held himself—stiff and uncertain, as if trying to decide if escape was necessary.

"The noisier it is, the less likely anything strange you do will be noticed. There will be noisy children, squabbling teenagers… the wait staff will be too busy to care."

"Oh." Barely contained relief.

Shuuichi smiled.

"I got you another change of clothes. Hopefully they'll fit better this time."

Takashi bit his bottom lip.

"You shouldn't have done that."

"Why not?" Shuuichi asked. That Takashi was sensitive about money, even after all his years spent with _youkai_, made Shuuichi wonder just what his home life had been before. It was one problem that Shuuichi had never had to experience. The Natori clan, though no longer prominent in the exorcist world, had never lacked for money. "I don't have anyone else to spend money on," he added. "And little kids aren't supposed to worry about money."

The worried look however, did not quite leave Takashi's face.

"Really?"

"Really." Shuuichi shrugged. "Trust me on this one. I'm an actor, remember?"

Takashi frowned.

"But you said that you were still just starting your career."

"I'm also from a very old exorcist clan." He bent forward, putting his face close to Takashi's ear. "It means we're rich," he whispered, grinning.

A little bit more of the skepticism receded from Takashi's face. Shuuichi laughed, and put his arm around Takashi, dragging the boy forward. Takashi yelped and stumbled, then glared balefully at Shuuichi.

"What was that for?!"

"You're using money as an excuse to postpone the outing, don't think I don't know it."

"I am not!"

"Then prove it."

The challenge did what it was supposed to do. All traces of doubt and hesitation disappeared, and the imp returned in full force.

"Catch me if you can!" Takashi shouted, not so much running as leaping down the mountain in sudden spurts. Shuuichi laughed again, knowing that in the mountains at least, he had no hope of catching the boy. But once they were on the road, there would be nothing holding him back.

Which was exactly what he did.

They left the restaurant triumphantly two hours later, Takashi having managed to read the menu as well as successfully order on his own. The crowded restaurant had done what the convenience store had not—Takashi was in high spirits when he left.

"Can we have a parfait next time, Natori-san?"

Laughing, Shuuichi placed an arm around Takashi, then reached up to ruffle the boy's hair.

"Maybe next time you can come down and order on your own."

Takashi looked up, and Shuuichi could see the boy's current excitement warring with age-old anxiety.

"Maybe later."

"Now, why don't we stop by the bookstore on our way back to the mountains?"

"What?"

"You'll be more excited about reading human books if you get to pick the books," Shuuichi pointed out.

"I guess…"

But before Shuuichi could convince the boy, he saw a flutter of paper in the distance, and grimaced.

"No, that will have to wait for another day I think."

Takashi looked up in the direction Shuuichi was looking in, eyes widening at the paper hovering overhead.

"Normal humans can't see it you know," Shuuichi said casually, making a motion so that the paper floated down into his hands. Based on the shape of the paper… He unfolded the sheet, and frowned at both the message and the name of the sender. "Unfortunately it looks like I will need to go immediately. Are you going to be able to get back home on your own?"

The mountain that Takashi lived in was visible from where they were standing, and Takashi pointed to it.

"I can get home. So long as I keep it in front of me."

"Good. I'm sorry Takashi, I really have to go."

"I'm okay, Natori-san." Takashi smiled cheerfully. "I had a lot of fun today."

"I'll see you soon then. On the mountains as always?"

"Of course!"

Shuuichi waited until he was sure that Takashi was heading in the right direction, then took off at a run.

"There you are."

"Matoba," Shuuichi said. There was an irritating smirk hovering in the corners of Matoba's mouth, as if Matoba knew something that Shuuichi did not, and was taking delight in the fact. Though Shuuichi was older than the other exorcist, it rankled that the man acted like his superior. Well, in many ways, Matoba had a right to it. He was one of, if not the most powerful exorcist at the moment.

Shuuichi tried not think that if Takashi had been born into an exorcist family, that particular title would have gone to him instead.

Matoba stepped out from the alleyway he had been standing in, the seal covering his right eye a silent reminder of the curse that hung over his clan. Compared to that, Shuuichi was grateful that the shadow lizard that lived on his skin did no more than occasionally move. Odd that Takashi had never commented on it, for he surely must have seen it.

Perhaps he had lived so long with _youkai_, that the sight of moving tattoos seemed normal.

"Since I was in the area, I thought I would greet you," Matoba said. What he was in the area for, Shuuichi did not know. The casually made statement sent alarm bells through his head though. Matoba never did anything without reason.

"You could have just come up and said hi," Shuuichi said, pretending to a lightheartedness he did not feel.

_I'm an actor, Matoba. You can't fluster me the way you can the clans that are beholden to you._

"Now I could hardly interrupt your outing. A child, wasn't it?"

"Spying on me, Matoba?" Shuuichi said, showing his teeth in a mimicry of his best smile. "That is low, even for you."

"Hardly. Not when you were walking so openly with him on the street." Matoba tilted his head. "Who is he?"

"None of your business, Matoba."

"He had the oddest aura I have ever seen," Matoba said.

"The boy is human."

"And he lives around here?"

"As I said, that's none of your business, Matoba," Shuuichi said. "Now what did you call me over for? Surely not to talk about who I spend my time with outside of work?"

"There's a contract that's been posted about a powerful _youkai_ attacking a town nearby. Several exorcists have been injured already." Matoba's smirk deepened. "Since we seemed to work well that first time, do you want to team up again?"

"What's the prize?"

"Six hundred thousand yen. I'll let you take it all. I hardly need it."

Shuuichi's instinct was to immediately turn Matoba down. The man was irritating enough without the additional drain of working with him. But then he thought of Takashi and his worry about money. Giving the boy some of his own pocket money—carefully doled out on regular intervals—would surely encourage the boy to become more adventurous.

"When shall we do this…?"

* * *

"Where is he?"

The lower level imps quailed underneath Madara's gaze, then squealed when a tail twitch sent dozens of them flying. Madara did not care. Takashi was nowhere to be seen, had not been seen since morning. While this was not unusual in the normal course of things—Madara was not usually around Takashi during the day—he had always been able to count on the lower level _youkai_ to report Takashi's whereabouts to him.

"W-we saw him g-g-g-go down the mountain," one imp finally said. It was trembling so hard that it could not stand.

Down the mountain. The anger and irritation abruptly left him, and Madara dropped to the floor, sending more imps tumbling.

"Was he with the exorcist?"

"Y-y-yes."

Madara was aware of Takashi's recent trek down the mountain to the human world. This would be the second time that the boy was leaving the mountain without _youkai _supervision, which was something that he tolerated, though he had been very unhappy with the idea at first. Bad enough that the exorcist came up to spend time with Takashi as often as he did. Hinoe had finally needed to take him aside and tell him to stop growling every time Takashi mentioned his times with the exorcist brat. That Takashi evidently enjoyed it made it even worse.

"_He's human, Madara. You can't have him avoid humans forever."_

"_Why not? He can live up on this mountain with us."_

"_As a child, perhaps. But Madara, you forget that Takashi will eventually grow up. Are we to deny him the chance to experience human things?" _

"_Such as what?"_

Hinoe had sighed, then shaken her head. She had not mentioned anything afterward, but Madara had heard the silent rebuke.

Takashi, for his part, did not seem to be dissatisfied with his life on the mountain. His lessons with Misuzu continued as normal, and he certainly spent as much time with the lower level _youkai _as he could.

In fact, Madara remembered the first time Takashi had gone down the mountain with the exorcist brat with satisfaction. There had been demands for cuddling that night, which was an ordinary enough demand, but the thread of desperation in his childish pleading had been odd enough to cause alarm. It was as if Takashi had needed Madara to remind him that there were those who accepted him for who he was, that he no longer needed to fear rejection. How a short afternoon down in the human world could have done this, Madara did not know, but he had done his best to give what Takashi needed. Whatever it had been, Takashi had been shaken over something, and it had had something to do with humans. He had even harbored some hope that this meant Takashi would be discouraged from going down again.

But evidently that was not the case.

"I'm going to go out and look for him. He'll be easy enough to sense, with his strength," Madara said. "Tell Hinoe that this is what I'm doing. And if Takashi comes back before I do, tell him to _stay put_."

"_Yes, Madara."_

Muttering under his breath about the effort it took to watch over foolish human brats, he took off toward the sky.

* * *

Keeping the mountain constantly in front of him, Takashi was not paying attention to the area he had walked into. That he was no longer in the shopping area but a residential one made no impression on him.

Though today had been far more enjoyable than the last time, Takashi was more than ready to go home. Seeing the position of the sun in the sky, he frowned. It was far later than he had expected. If he got home after Madara-sama, Madara-sama was going to be very, very unhappy with him.

Under any other circumstances Takashi would get a growling lecture, but coming home late while doing something Madara-sama already disapproved of? Takashi shuddered. Though Takashi knew that Madara-sama would never harm him, when angry, he could be… scary.

He knew that Madara-sama was unhappy that he was spending so much time with Natori-san. Hinoe-san, when asked, had reassured him and said that Madara-sama was simply being jealous, but Takashi occasionally wondered if there was something more than that.

Did Madara-sama worry that Takashi would choose Natori-san over Madara-sama?

Takashi giggled at the thought.

No, Hinoe-san was right. It probably was jealousy.

The thought cheered him up immensely, and he picked up speed and began to run, enjoying the flat road before him. It wasn't half as fun as going through obstacles on the mountain, but it was nice to see how fast he could run. And the shoes Natori-san gave him had a much better grip than straw sandals.

It did not have enough grip though, to get him to stop before he ran into the woman who had suddenly appeared from a side street in front of him.

"Oh!"

"Ah!" Stumbling backwards, Takashi stared in horror at the woman lying sprawled on the road. She had been grocery shopping. Vegetables were strewn around her, some having rolled as far as to the other side of the road. Some of the plastic bags had ripped, and more items peeked out from the holes. He felt himself starting to panic. What was he going to do? He closed his eyes tightly, suddenly wishing that he had never come down the mountain. Here was more proof that he was cursed, that he harmed humans around him. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. So sorry. I'm sorry!"

A soft hand touched his cheek, startling him enough that he looked up.

"Child, are you all right?"

Takashi stared, not daring to believe that the woman he had just ran into was not angry. But as he nodded, stiffly, he saw her give a sigh of relief, then smile.

"Oh thank goodness. Silly me, I really should watch where I'm going." She smiled. "And now look. Because of my carelessness, I've ruined the groceries."

"I'll help," Takashi said, the words out before he could think. "Where do you live? I'll help you carry them home." With the bags ruined, the woman would need the help.

"Oh no, it's so late, your parents must be worried," the woman exclaimed.

"No, it's really okay."

"Are you sure?"

She reached out to touch him again, this time on his shoulder. Takashi stared at the hand, then back up at the woman.

_Her eyes are the kindest I've ever seen._

The thought, all unbidden, rose up in his mind. Takashi felt a warmth he had never experienced before.

"Where do you live?" he asked.

"Down this road," she said, pointing in the direction of the mountain.

Takashi smiled. Without thinking, he answered, "Oh, I live down that way too."

"You do? I've never seen you before though."

Realizing his mistake, Takashi paled.

"Ah, no. I mean, I on the moun—the other side of the mountain," he corrected himself.

"Hmm, I see." Takashi watched her worriedly, wondering if the woman was going to call him out on his obvious lie. But instead, much to his surprise, the woman decided to take his words at face value. "All right then. If it's on your way home, I suppose I could let you help," she said. The gentle words and kind expression on her face revealed nothing of what she was thinking. It was as if she instinctively knew there were some things that she shouldn't ask. "Oh, and since you're helping, let me introduce myself." She laughed softly. "I'm hopeless aren't I? Not only can I not watch where I'm going, I'm starting to forget my manners." Straightening, she looked at him and bowed slightly. "I'm Touko. Fujiwara Touko."

"Fujiwara-san," Takashi said.

"Touko is fine."

"T-Touko-san." Takashi bowed. "I'm Natsume Takashi."

"Takashi-kun, is that right? Well, let's start off by picking up these vegetables."

With two to pick things up, it went quickly, and soon Takashi found himself listening to Touko-san chatter about her garden and what she was planning to make with the groceries. He did not really listen to everything she said, but Takashi found himself enjoying just being with her. There was something oddly soothing about her presence. That she hadn't immediately rejected him out of hand was also reassuring. Strange, but reassuring.

They reached a large, cozy looking house, and Touko-san ran ahead to open the door.

"Put them down now." Seeing the place she was pointing at, Takashi set down the groceries carefully on the step above the entranceway. It had been many years since he'd entered a human home. The feeling was disconcerting. "Thank you so much for helping," Touko-san said happily. "Are you still okay? I could make up some tea."

"Oh… no. I really have to get going now," Takashi said.

"Oh my yes. Look at the time. It's nearly dinner time. Your parents must be worried."

Thinking of Madara-sama and Hinoe-san, Takashi smiled.

"It's okay. I'll probably get yelled at."

"Well, that won't do. Do you have a phone number I can call? I can explain to them ahead of time," she said, looking genuinely worried.

"No… I'll be okay. Really."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I need to go now."

"Come for a visit next time," Touko-san said, waving at him as he headed back out the door. "Thank you so much for your help."

"It was no problem," Takashi said, waving back. "Good bye!"

As the door closed, Takashi found himself looking at the house one more time. The woman had invited him back to visit. Had she meant it? Surely not. And perhaps… He shook his head of the thought that had suddenly crept into his mind.

No, he no longer belonged with humans. His outings with Natori-san were just that. Outings. Practice so that he would be able to pass himself off as ordinary, but not to live among them. Not like Natori-san.

A shadow passed over him, making him instinctively look up.

"There you are. I've been looking for you."

Madara-sama landed in the middle of the street, the wind that had blown up from the speed of his landing sending the white fur ruffling.

"Madara-sama!" Takashi said happily, running toward the _youkai_. Before Takashi could hug Madara-sama however, a giant paw smacked him to the ground.

"Don't leave the mountains again without letting any of us know where you're going, do you understand me?"

"Owww…" Takashi stayed still, knowing better than to struggle when Madara-sama was angry. Only when he felt the paw move aside did he dare get up. "I'm sorry, Madara-sama." He couldn't quite keep out the sniffle. Madara-sama rarely punished him like this, and it had _hurt_.

"I was worried, and so were the low-level imps."

"Oh." He shifted from one now slightly scraped leg to another, now feeling genuinely contrite. He hadn't meant for anyone to be worried. "I'm really sorry, Madara-sama. I'll let you know when I'm leaving from now on."

"And you'll tell me where, so that I will be able to find you," Madara-sama added firmly.

"Okay. I promise."

"Now climb up. Let's go home."

It had been a while since Takashi had been able to fly on Madara-sama. He climbed up from Madara-sama's shoulder, using the paw and fur to steady himself while he settled on. Madara-sama took off without a warning, and Takashi squealed in delight. Takashi sighed contentedly, with no more thought than that he was heading home. Lost in the world above the clouds, the image of the cozy house, the neat garden, and the kind woman who lived there, dropped from his mind.

Takashi never noticed.

* * *

**Chapter Notes: **I wanted to talk about some of the junk food that I've mentioned in this chapter (they're really the only thing that might be confusing). In the beginning, Takashi eats butter soy sauce flavored popcorn. This is a real snack, made by Frito Lays in fact, called _Mike's Popcorn_, and it is **delicious_._**Do not underestimate the power of butter soy sauce. Butter soy sauce popcorn is delicious. Butter soy sauce potato chips are awesome. Butter soy sauce corkscrew tornado potatoes? Heaven. I love Mike's so much that I have my Japanese friends pack a single luggage full of them to bring back to me (they're available on Amazon, but for an obscenely expensive price). On my own I make butter soy sauce potato salad (my own special recipe, that I made up on my own).

Don't judge me. Don't. Judge. Don't you dare.

On a similar vein, cheese curry ramen is also amazingly amazing, and yes it is also a real flavor. Japanese curry and cheese taste good together. I used to get a cup every two weeks at the local Lawson's. Again, don't judge me.

Melon bread was also featured in this chapter, and despite the name, it is not melon flavored (though I once saw melon-flavored melon bread. Mind blown). No, it's named that for the crisscrosses that cover the top, which supposedly resembles a melon. It's a cookie crust on top of a dinner roll like bread. Said cookie crust is often embedded with chocolate chips or sugar crystals. It is delicious.

The Chinese have a similar one, called pineapple bread, made pretty much the same, but apparently to the Chinese it looks more like a pineapple than a melon. I actually only just recently found this out, since the name for pineapple in mainland China is different from the mandarin we use in Taiwan. Lol. We call it feng li (phoenix pear), and the Chinese call it buo luo. Anyway. I was in shock for a day at this discovery. Catatonic in fact.

I still prefer melon bread though. Much prettier and tastier.


End file.
